Companions
by EveningCicada
Summary: Shadow crashes to Earth in a spacecraft accident, only to be rescued by Bailey, a freshman in high school. When Shadow starts having strange dreams since he met her, he realizes that Bailey is no ordinary human...and his past could be changed forever.
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

"Sir, are you sure we are to be heading to that planet?" I implied. "It's a dangerous galaxy, and it's best we find another-"

"Shadow, we will be fine," Eggman said, but didn't sound very convincing.

I crossed my arms. "You're putting all of us in danger, you know." I was about to suggest we abort the mission—or perhaps find another route-when Eggman's hand came down on the dashboard.

"Shadow, that is not a way to talk to someone who reawakened you! You can get off this ship if you feel like betraying us, but I won't deal with that. Have some respect!"

I rolled my eyes. "If there really is civilization there, what are you planning to do afterward?"

His shoulders tensed. "I told you, we're going to establish the Eggman Empire, in honor of my grandfather who blessed me with you!"

"Sonic'll come and stop us soon enough, sir."

Eggman grinned, a maniacal, evil-genius grin. "He's fast, but he can't run between planets, now can he? How can he possibly stop something he'll never know about?"

"Never know," I muttered. Suddenly the ship swerved to the left, making Eggman grip the armrests of his chair and granting me the luck of sliding into the wall with a harsh thud.

I was a little disoriented, but still managed to scream, "What happened?" over the blaring sirens.

"We came too close to Earth!" Eggman shouted. "Its gravity is pulling us in!"

This infuriated me. "_I told you not to go this way!_ _It's too close to Earth's atmosphere, too dangerous!_"

Eggman bellowed, "Shadow, shut up and try to help me pull the ship away!" He tried to yank on the control levers, sometimes clicking numerous buttons that I believed he chose at random. I went over and fired the engines as fast as they could go, but it was too late.

We were plummeting to Earth, a strange and distant planet, in a spacecraft full of people, with nothing to break our fall.


	2. Earth Abound

**Chapter One**

I could not remember anything from the collision. When I awoke, I found myself face-down in a patch of moist dirt. I struggled to get up and regain my balance; my head spun and my neck fell limp. Stars danced in front of my eyes when I stood up halfway, and I took that as a signal to sit back down.

When the stars had faded and my eyes had refocused, I studied my surroundings. Tall, green plants hung over my head, and dangling from them was some kind of small, red fruit with tiny seeds on the outside. Gently, cautiously, I touched one, but did not eat it, despite my achingly empty stomach.

The sun overhead was fierce and the air was heavy with humidity, especially with my thick fur. I examined myself for any more bruises or scratches, but found none except a long tear through my right glove, which did not even injure my hand, so I didn't count it as an injury. Something warm trickled down from inside my ear, and when I put my hand to it, my fingers came back speckled with blood. I tried to see if there was anything in it, since I couldn't hear so well, but it hurt to the touch, so I left it alone. My face was not scratched, from what I could tell, and I inquired that most of the damage had been done to my head.

I didn't know what there was to do. Stay? Or find a way to escape? I had never been to Earth; I only heard about it in stories. The sky ahead was blue and these plants were very green, the dirt was soft and cool. So this is what it was like here?

But just _where_ in this world was I?

And if I'm here, where are the-

"La di da...hm hm hmmm..."

-humans?

Someone was coming! Possibly an enemy?

But there was no time to wager on the subject. Dizzily, I staggered to my feet and tried to run, but my head had not healed yet. The stars returned—even more vigorously this time-and my ears rang. It seemed my neck could not support my skull and I couldn't steady it to stay straight up, so it hung to the side. My legs shook violently and I couldn't see which direction I was facing. I tried to run, but couldn't get very far because of my frequent stumbling. Was I even moving at all? I was unable to tell; my head spun too fast.

_Away from the voice,_ I told myself. _Just get away from the voice._

However, this did not work very well because the ringing in my ears became too sharp. I tried to run again, despite being blind, deaf, and nauseatingly dizzy. Suddenly I had an idea-maybe if I activated my hover boots I could get away faster! I attempted to run more quickly, but there was one dilemma: my shoes did not work.

_No, no, no!_ my head screamed. I banged my heel against the ground to try to get it going, but nothing happened.

"La da dum dum..."

The voice was getting closer and I recognized it as a female's. The ringing in my ears started going in and out, in rhythm with my now-throbbing head. I felt my eyelids droop and my legs lose strength. My knees wavered and I decided not to push them any farther. I was still dizzy, but at least my breathing became leveled. The blood from my ear found its way down my face. I could smell it.

My neck drooped forward, my shoulders had gone limp, and my knees gave way. I expected to feel my face hit the cool ground again, which would be nice, since I was now perspiring. But instead of collapsing into the Earth (erm, again), I felt a hand press into my chest, catching me. I didn't care if it was the enemy; I was too weak to move. Too weak to even think about anything except that being saved, held, felt much better than crushing into the dirt.

xxxxxxxxxxx

_Two voices discuss plans for a "dominant creature." _

"_I'm telling you, Professor, it would be prefect. It could go as back-up, get what I'm saying?"_

"_I can't be so sure, Doctor. Why don't we wait and see what the first one is capable of before proceeding onto another project?"_

"_That's just it. It could be capable of the same things, but this time we'll have more time to experiment with it. I mean, the first one was just the first. With the second one we can tweak! And later on...just imagine an entire army of-"_

"_No, Doctor, I really don't see the meaning of it if we are just going to copy the first Ultimate Life-Form. It's not worth the hassle, and we won't ever need more than one. The first will do the job perfectly for this particular planet."_

"_But what about the entire universe? Don't you want to have that much control, Professor?"_

_A long pause. Same voice: "And once we conquer that, we can experiment with a whole bunch of new abilities and powers. You really don't concur that this could be the ticket to everything we've dreamed of?"  
><em>

_Another long pause. Then the other voice: "It's just too risky. We're lucky we got away with this one. Wait a while, Doctor."_

"_How long, though, until it's too late?"_

xxxxxxxxxxxx

My eyes focused again. This time I was lying on a hard, wood surface. It hurt my back badly, making it ache from my tail to my neck. But I didn't dare move. Just in case someone was watching—in case _she_ was watching.

It took me a minute for my mind to process what I had just heard inside my head. Was that...a dream? I couldn't tell who was talking or where they were, but one of the voices sounded faintly like Professor Gerald Robotnik. I shivered at the thought.

What were they talking about? Which _planet_? Did they mean _Ultimate Life-Form_ as in me? I had not the slightest idea. The only explanation I could come up with was that collision with the ground must've messed up my memory. Maybe it altered old ones? Maybe it gave me new ones? It was too soon to tell.

I was afraid of sitting up; my head would start to spin again. So instead I tried to examine my shelter without moving my neck around too much.

Come to think of it, my neck was already hard to move around too much, because someone had braced it.

Or maybe it wasn't a brace at all. Maybe it was some type of tracking device, or a machine that injected poison into my throat. I tried to rip it off, then tried pulling it over my head, but it wouldn't budge.

Footsteps.

"Stop."

Huh? It was the girl's voice again. I looked to my left and saw her head and upper-body poke through a dark purple curtain. Ah...the open windows, the wooden flooring and walls...this was a treehouse, and the girl was entering via ladder.

She thrusted the curtain out of her way and knelt down to my aid. She had short, pastel-yellow hair. I would've thought she was a boy if her long eyelashes and tiny earrings didn't give it away. Her eyes were a light blue. She donned denim overalls, white sneakers, and a blue shirt underneath. Her skin was fair and flawless.

"Stop," she repeated, gently touching my neck brace. "It's supposed to be there. It's to help you. Your neck is sprained real bad." Her voice was soft, almost elegant.

She reassembled the brace with long, gentle fingers. Her eyes went to my ear and she said, "I'll be right back. Don't move, okay?"

She stopped in her tracks for a minute, and before turning around to go back down the ladder, she touched my hand and said, "No one's here to hurt you. You're safe here."

I watched her leave and return in record time.

"Can you sit up?" she asked. I tried to, but wasn't steady. She slowly, lightly, pushed me against the wall and held my side to keep me upright. My head did not spin. The only ear that rang was the injured one (however, I could hear with it a little now), and stars did not blacken my vision. I took a deep breath and relaxed my limbs. Whew.

The mysterious girl took a white, circular fluffy thing and dipped it into a smelly, acidic liquid. It stung my nose and made my eyes tear. Ick. How repulsive.

She removed her hand from my hip and gently touched my ear. She dabbed it with the white fluff and it stung the whole thing, inside and out. I tried to groan, but all that came out was a shaky breath, and she stopped what she was doing to look at me before I could push her arm away.

She looked straight into my eyes, saying softly, "I know it hurts. But it'll make you feel better. Look." She showed me the fluff. It was colored red. "You ear's not in good shape. I think you banged it. Can you hear me okay?"

I nodded.

She examined my ear again. "Does it ring?"

Again, I nodded.

She looked up at it again and blew into it. I jerked my head to the side. What was she doing? Yeah, like blowing into it would help.

But it did.

"Come here," she whispered. "I just want to take another look." She dabbed at it again, wiping off the dried blood, using a few more fluffs to replace the dirty ones.

"Does that feel better?"

I nodded.

When I looked to the window, I noted that the sun was almost beginning to set. The sky turned a hazy pink. I'd been here for a while, but just how long was I unconscious in that field?

"Are you hungry?" the girl asked. I shook my head, even though I was famished. I still couldn't trust her.

What I did not understand was how she managed to treat me like another human. I was some foreign creature from across the universe, and how was she not afraid? She even touched me a few times.

What a peculiar girl. Were all humans this way?

But I remembered the stories. I knew they couldn't be.

I was just lucky.

"Why don't you try to walk?" she said. She supported me by slinging my arm around her thin hip, and her other arm pressed into my back. Hesitantly, I took a few shaky steps.

"Good, good," she cooed. I took a few more. I was beginning to heal.

"Oh, wait," she said, turning behind her. She bent down to look at my tail. It was bent the wrong way, though I had not noticed it before.

"Your tail," she murmured. "Hold on. Can you stand?"

I nodded.

"Okay. Hold on." She opened a silver box on the other side of the room and pulled out gauze. When she came back, she said, "Don't move," and jerked my tail in its proper place.

It did not hurt, as I had expected.

She began wrapping the gauze around it. I watched awkwardly, as I could barely bend my neck. But I saw everything she was doing. Just in case I had to.

She finished. "There. All better." I sat back down, and it suddenly dawned on me how dorky I must have looked in this neck brace.

She then sat down beside me, running her hand through her hair. "My name is Bailey. Do you have a name?"

They were the first words I had spoken in I don't know how long: "My name is Shadow. Shadow the hedgehog."


	3. Friends?

**Chapter Two**

Bailey grinned. "Shadow the hedgehog, eh? Cute."

I wanted to stand up and tell her that I was the Ultimate Life-Form, that I was most certainly not cute, I could destroy this whole planet if I really wanted to.

But I kept my mouth shut, biting my tongue.

Bailey continued, "So did you travel with anyone else when you came here, Shadow the hedgehog?"

I went numb. The others! Eggman and the scientists and the passengers! Where did they go? How could I forget about them...! 

I sighed. "Please," I said, "just call me Shadow."

"Sure thing, Shadow."

I frowned. "Er...yes, I did come here with other people. But I don't know where they landed." I looked to the window, which showed a setting sun. "Where am _I_, anyway?"

Bailey tied her sneaker laces. "You're on my papa's farm. I live here with my two brothers—one older, one my age—and my dad. Haven't seen my mom since I was little. I think she and papa are divorced, but I never asked about it. Oh, and I was able to take care of you because we have many animals on this farm. I tend to them, so I know all about first aid. Though I never tended a talking hedgehog before." She looked at me with those pale blue eyes. "Or any hedgehog, for that matter."

"Any place specific? Besides being on your farm, I mean," I said. "What town is this?"

"Berry County, Pennsylvania," she answered. "And did you say that you came here with others?"

"Yes."

She scratched her head. "Then shouldn't we look for them?"

I shrugged. "They'll turn up." Truth was, I really did want to find Eggman before he established his empire. He may not have gotten to that planet he wanted, but a new one took its place.

Unless this was his real plan after all, and he didn't tell me because he knew I wouldn't allow him to ruin this planet—Maria's true home.

"Oh," Bailey said, a little surprised. "Okay." She grabbed a woven basket of those small fruits I saw before. "Are you sure you're not hungry? I was picking these when I found you. They're really good, nice and ripe."

I hesitated.

"It's okay," she said, handing me one. "I told you I'd never hurt you, no one would, and I promise these aren't poisonous."

Carefully, I popped one into my mouth. It tasted interesting, sweet but a little bitter at the same time. I ate a few more, and so did Bailey, until my appetite was soon fulfilled.

"Those were good," I said. "What are they?"

Bailey looked puzzled. "They're called strawberries. Don't you have them where you come from?"

I tried to shake my head, but remembered I had the brace on, so instead I said, "No, we don't."

"Where do you come from anyway, Shadow?" she asked.

"A planet far away from here. I've seen Earth before, but I've never been here," was all I said. I still wasn't sure who to trust.

Bailey pulled her knees close and wrapped her arms around her them. "Oh. My older brother, Danny, always believed there is life on other planets. I never believed him. That is, until today." She gave me a smirk.

"Aren't you afraid of me?" I inquired.

She shrugged. "Aren't you afraid of me?"

I turned away. "I've come in contact with humans before."

"Really?" she sounded almost excited. "You mean there're humans where you come from? Oh, wow!"

"Well," I said, sighing. There was no way of avoiding it. "I was...created...on a place called Space Colony ARK. Humans lived there. They were the only species that lived there, actually."

"C-created?" Bailey said shakily. "What do you mean by 'created'?"

"I'm an artificially created animal. For special purposes. I was created by humans. But there's a whole other planet full of walking, talking animals, much like myself, except they're, well, _real_." I didn't tell her that I was created to destroy the human race in account of _revenge_. But I didn't really know. Was I still here for that purpose? Surely Eggman would find me and tell me to get the job done if that's what he really wanted. But he seemed too immersed in his Eggman Empire to really care about me destroying this world. It'd make no sense, anyway—there'd be no people to overthrow if he sent me to destroy them all.

"So," Bailey contemplated, taking all this in. "You lived on a spaceship?"

"Uh-huh."

"Sounds cool," she said quietly. "Um, listen, I know I said no one would hurt you, but it's best if we keep this between you and me."

"Keep what?"

"Um...this. Everything. Our knowledge of each other. Talking animal robots aren't really too common here and-"

"I am _not_ a robot!" I shouted, then immediately felt bad. "I have flesh and blood and emotions and-"

"Okay," she cooed, laughing a little. "I can see you have emotions." I rolled my eyes. "But," she said, "how did they ever find a way to create a living thing like...you...without using robotics materials?"

"Our technology is far more advanced than yours," I argued. "And I've heard stories about this planet. I know all about your society."

She went a little pale. "Oh. Um, okay, then. But it's best if I hide you, okay? You can stay here in the treehouse. No one will find you here. I promise."

I stared at the floor. "I need to get home."

"Not in a condition like that. You're staying here where I can keep an eye on you."

My shoulders tensed. "Why?"

"So you can remain safe."

"You really care about my safety?" I asked, wide-eyed.

She moved closer to me. "Of course. We're friends, right?"

I looked away. "Hardly."

She sighed. "Well, it gets lonely around here. It'd be nice to have a friend." A breeze blew in through the window and I noticed it was dark outside. She took a blanket from the corner and wrapped it around my shoulders. "Stay right here. My father will be looking for me. I'll see you in the morning."

I rested my head on a pillow she had prepared for me as well, pulling the blankets closer to my chin. Right before she left and closed the curtain behind her, I said, "Thank you," but I don't believe she heard me.


	4. A New Morning

**Chapter Three**

_The two men I had seen before were now in a laboratory. The one on the left had shaggy, blonde hair. He was tall and lean, standing perfectly straight. I didn't recognize him. The other, as I had presumed, was Professor Gerald Robotnik. They carried on the same conversation as before, nothing different except now I could see the setting and who was speaking. They both wore long, white, stainless lab coats._

_xxxxxxxxxxxx_

I awoke with a start. Having forgotten where I was while I slept, it took me a minute to regain my memory and take in my surroundings again. No one was in the treehouse but me. I looked to the window; the sun was just poking through the trees. It was very early morning.

I stood up on my own for the first time and walked to the window. When I made sure the coast was clear and no one was coming, I climbed onto the window's ledge and watched the sun rise from there. It's really no different than from the ARK, but it was interesting to see it from a whole other planet. It seemed brighter here, though.

"You're awake."

I turned my whole body to see Bailey, in a nightgown, clutching a basket of eggs. My voice was dry. "Hello."

"I wake up early to tend to the chickens on Saturdays."

"It's Saturday?" I asked.

"Mm-hmm. Lucky for you, 'cause I don't know what I'm gonna do with you when I get back into school on Monday."

I didn't have an answer.

I stepped down from the window and smoothed down my fur.

"Oh, your glove," Bailey said, taking my hand in hers. "It's ripped. Why didn't you tell me?"

My whole arm clenched. I didn't like the way she touched me. It was new and strange, and I wasn't fond of it.

"I can fix that," she said, putting down the eggs and rushing out through the curtain once more. "Just give me a sec," she called out on her way down.

I leaned against the wooden wall and took a deep breath. Why was she being so nice to me? Why wasn't she uncomfortable with a talking animal? Why was she taking care of me? Why wasn't she afraid of me? Why doesn't she question anything?

Why do I hate her?

Why do I hate how she's so nice and caring and unnaturally comfortable with talking hedgehogs from another planet? How come-

"Back," she said a minute later. She held in her hands a needle and some white thread. I took a step back.

"It's to sew your glove, silly," she said gently, reaching out for my hand. She pulled off my glove and I stared at my naked paw. A long, jagged scar ran from my wrist to the tip of my ring finger. No fur grew where the scar ran along. My skin was a dark peach. I clenched my paw and hung it against my side. How did that get there? I never took off my gloves, and how come? Why are such peculiar things—the dreams, this scar—happening right after I meet Bailey?

_Who was this girl?_

I watched as she carefully sewed my glove's tear shut.

"I taught myself how to sew when I was younger," she said suddenly, not looking up from her work. "My mom was supposed to teach me, though."

I tugged at the neck brace. I hated this thing. It made me feel like a dog who just came from the vet with a cone wrapped around its neck.

I touched my injured ear to see if it had healed overnight, and I believed it did, for it did not hurt as much. It twitched, however, when I rubbed it too harshly. Bailey giggled but I did not know why.

I watched her intently. She was incredibly careful; she had the hands of a surgeon. All for a stupid glove?

"Did you sleep well?" she asked.

"Fine."

"I thought you were a dream," she said, smiling. "I had to rush back here as fast as I could to make sure you were still here."

I was quiet.

"Do you like your stay here? Are you comfortable?"

I tried to nod.

"Are you feeling better?"

"Mmm," I murmured. I wasn't sure if that was a yes or a no.

She looked up from my glove. "You don't talk very much."

_No kidding._

"You don't have to be afraid," she said for the umpteenth time.

"I need to get back home," I said sternly. "And that's the only thing on my mind."

She went back to her sewing. "I'm sure you do. And I can help you."

"No, you can't."

"What?" she looked up again, frowning. "I can try."

"You don't know anything about me, okay?" I said sourly. "You don't know where I come from, or what I'm capable of, or what I've been through. Stop being nice to me because you're not my friend. Got it?" By the end I was nearly shouting. Bailey's expression didn't change, except for the sadness that crept into those blue eyes of hers. She silently continued to sew my glove.

"I get it," she said after a few minutes. "I understand."

I looked at her. "No. You don't."

"What's there not to get? You want to get back home, who can blame you? And I'm going to help-"

"I don't need your help. I'm fine."

"When I discovered you, you couldn't walk. Is that 'fine'? You couldn't even hold your head up straight. I helped you already." She handed me my finished glove and I quickly put it back on. "Had I known it'd make you upset, I would have left you there." Funny, how when she made a serious point, she didn't raise her voice or even sound angry. She was so calm. "But—oh, that's right—you would have been experimented on and tortured if I left you."

_Like I haven't already been experimented on,_ I thought, and was so tempted to say it. I stared at her. "Why are you being so nice to me?"

She narrowed her eyes. "Would you like me to be mean?"

"I'm not joking, Bailey." It was the first time I said her name, and I clenched my jaw in disgust.

"I'm being nice to you because I want to help you."

"You don't even know me."

"I guess they're not so nice on your planet, then."

"I just don't understand!" I yelled. "You're not freaked out or uncomfortable with me...at all!"

She kneeled. "Does that bother you? That I feel okay with you?"

I opened my mouth to speak, but closed it again. "How...?" I muttered. "How can you not..."

"Because," she said, "quite frankly, you're just an animal. Not even half my height. You're not exactly a threat."

"I'm the world's Ultimate Life-Form!" I shouted at her. "I was created to destroy your kind! How can you not be afraid of me?"

Bailey stared at me, then sighed. She looked down. "I'm sorry," she said. "I shouldn't have said that. That's not at all why I'm not uncomfortable with you. I kinda ran outta ideas for comebacks."

I sat back down. What the hell did I just say that for?

"Were you really created to destroy my kind?" she asked, her voice merely a whisper.

I spoke through clenched teeth. "I want to know why you want to be my friend. I want to know why I'm having these goddamned crazy dreams ever since I met you."

"You have crazy dreams, too?" I thought I heard her whisper, but my head started spinning, so I couldn't be sure.

"You know what? Save you breath," I said. "You don't need to answer me." I made my way to the curtain and jumped down from the treehouse. I tore off the neck brace and ran (quite aimlessly) as far as I could. I had to find Eggman and tell him to get us off this planet before things got any more insane.

I banged my feet against the ground to get my shoes working again, but it was no use. I'd have to just learn to run regularly.

"_I'm being nice to you because I want to help you."_

But no one was ever just nice.

There were always strings attached.


	5. Crazy?

**Chapter Four**

I don't remember how long I had walked. When my legs started to ache, though, I decided to rest and took refuge in some woodland. The trees were a light green, so I guessed it was spring. Nothing had budded yet, however, so I really wasn't sure. The air was cool under all this shade and the ground was dusty with dirt and matted, dry soil.

I had no idea where Eggman was, my shoes didn't work, I've been having these weird dreams, some girl was trying to help me though I couldn't figure out why, and I had no idea where I had run off to.

_Should I go back?_ something whispered from the back of my head.

No. I had to get home and I couldn't waste any time being "friends" with a peculiar human girl. I couldn't slow down for any of that.

I stared at the tall trees around me and wondered if, just maybe, I climbed high enough...

I hugged the trunk and pushed off with my foot. The nearest branch was about five or six feet up, and I shimmied to it with all my strength, trying not to scratch myself with the rough bark. My limbs still ached, but at least my head wasn't whirling—for the time being. Really, what was that about?

I reached out for the branch and grasped it tightly, pulling myself onto it as effectively as I could. Though wobbly, I kind of kneeled on it, then stretched to the branch across from it, the one hanging from the back of the tree. I succeeded. The third branch, just above my head, looked strong and wide enough for me to stand on, so I heaved myself onto it. My head began to spin again and I tried to steady myself, squeezing the branch for support. My legs fell limp and it took every bit of energy to pull them up to join the rest of my body. Here I rested, the thick branch beneath my stomach, my head turned to the side. I suddenly became so exhausted I feared I may fall asleep.

But I snapped to attention, remembering what I was climbing this damned tree for in the first place.

Quickly but carefully, I was able to reach the highest branch possible. I took many deep breaths and looked out to the deep forest ahead of me. Then it occurred to me.

Eggman couldn't be here. This was a very long way from Bailey's house, where I had landed.

That _was_ where I landed, right?

But Bailey didn't mention anything about a huge spaceship crashing just behind her house.

I had to have crashed where the others did. And I was separated from everyone else. And I had not a clue why or how.

"I really hate not knowing anything," I mumbled. I looked below. Would I really have to climb all the way back down? No, not right now. I would take in the sights and rest for a few minutes, then I would begin my descent.

I looked to my right and saw a highway. It passed between this forest and another one across the road, sandwiched between the two stretches of green. I remembered what Bailey said about not being seen, so I couldn't exactly follow it to head into some sort of town.

I sat down, let my legs dangle, and leaned my head against the trunk. Everything about me felt heavier. Bailey was right; I wasn't fit to do anything right now.

"Stop thinking about Bailey," I told myself. "She's gone, you're gone. It's over and you're never seeing her again."

I felt something pang in my chest. I tried to ignore it.

_Why does that bother you so much, Shadow? _my mind asked. _That you'll never see her again?_

"It doesn't bother me," I fought back. "Besides, _I'm_ the one who ran away in the first place."

_But she cared for you so nicely, so gently..._

"She's the _enemy_!" I growled. "You saw how nice she was. No one is ever that nice without hiding something, without wanting something..."

_Maybe you're just not used to being taken care of, Shadow. Maybe you need some practice._

"Argh, shaddup!" I clasped my head with my hand. "I only knew her for one day. That's all. It's over. She's gone."

_But are you really gonna run away forev-_

"Who am I even talking to?" I muttered. Then in response to my conscience, "And no, I'm not running away forever. I'm finding Eggman and the others and we're getting off this planet."

_I was talking about running away from Bailey._

"Then _yes_!" I shouted. A flock of birds scrambled from a nearby tree across from me. I sighed. I'm going insane. I must be driving myself crazy.

_The dreams._

My jaw clenched. Not the dreams. They were way too creepy and unfamiliar. They made me sick.

_Bailey had those dreams too._

Bailey, Bailey, Bailey, that was all my mind could work around. "Why?" I muttered. "Why do I keep thinking about her?"

My mind didn't give up. _It's not your fault, though._

"I'm just crazy. That's the end of it."

_You'd be surprised, if you just gave the girl a chance._

"Again with the girl!" And I was having another conversation with myself. "What does me going crazy have to do with Bailey?"

No response.

"Good," I said, "Can't think of a reply, huh?"

Silence.

My shoulders relaxed. "Glad that's over."

A pigeon stared curiously at me from a branch below me.

"Even the birds know I'm insane." I rolled my eyes and started to make my way down the tree.


	6. Another Dream

**Chapter Five**

This time, it was a daydream that haunted me.

I must have been bored, sitting against a tree waiting for who the hell knows what, when I saw it. My eyes were open—which made it all more strange. Again, I heard only the voices.

xxxxxxxxxxx

_Two men talking. I recognized the second one as the doctor's. The first to speak, however, was new and unfamiliar._

"_Sir, why must it be her? She's far too young."_

"_No matter. I can understand your concerns. But let me try to put them at ease. Your daughter—she's different."_

"_No, she's not. She's the same as everyone else here on the ARK."_

"_We have no other choice."_

"_Did Professor even agree to this?"_

"_I will try to convince him again."_

"_Please—do not take her. I-Is this even possible?"_

"_Professor and I believe so."_

_Pause. Same voice. "Now, your daughter's name was?"_

_An exasperated sigh."Her name is-"_

_xxxxxxxxxxx_

This was a new scene. And how long ago was this? Why did the doctor want to take this man's daughter? What did he want her for? Why didn't the father want to give her up? They're on the ARK; how come I never saw them?

_How long ago was this?_

And what is her name?

Why did it stop right at her name?

My whole body throbbed. What didn't my mind want me to know? Why was this all happening?

My breathing became heavier_._

_These were not dreams. _

_They were memories._

That means I saw these somehow.

This all happened because I crashed my head, didn't it? Nothing made sense.

Wait: Bailey said something about having visions like these too, didn't she?

Or was I dreaming that?

I couldn't remember. I staggered to my feet. Why couldn't I remember anything? It must be because I had hit my head. It had to be. How hard did I hit it? Were these just illusions?

I put my hand to my head. What was going on up there?

"Whoa," I told myself. "Stop asking questions you can't answer."

Maybe Eggman knows something. Maybe he even had something to do with this. But how could I get to him?

I stood there still, so my head wouldn't spin again. I really hated when that happened; I hated not being in control of my own body.

"I finally found you, Shadow the Hedgehog."

Something pounded into my back and I felt myself crash to the ground.

xxxxxxxxxxxx

"_Daddy, no! Don't let them take me!"_

_Silence. The doctor's voice: "You'll be fine, sweetheart."_

"_Noooo!" Screaming and thrashing, wailing and heavy sobbing. "I don't wanna goo-ooo-ooo!"_

"_Easy, child. It's not painful, I promise."_

_Horrible, heart-wrenching crying. She sounded like she was already in pain. She couldn't be more than six years old. I wanted to cringe. I wanted to cover my ears. But I couldn't move. I could only listen._

_Where was the father? What were they going to do with her? What was I doing?_

_The crying stopped. Pretty soon, the only sounds that escaped the girl were soft moans and grunts. _

_The doctor's voice, more hushed and relaxed: "Child, you are to become the Ultimate Life-Form's Companion. How lucky you are."_

_Companion?_

_Same voice: "Sleep for now, girl. You'll need every bit of rest you can get. You have a big day tomorrow, don't you?" Though soft, his voice was tinged with bitterness, spite._

_I wanted to scream. I wanted to open up my eyes and see who in all of hell was doing this, who this girl was and what they were doing to her._

_Footsteps. Coming closer, getting louder. "Doctor, what are you doing?" It was Professor Gerald._

"_You'll see, Professor, sir. I'm changing the world. One life-form at a time."_

_Professor's voice grew louder. "Who the hell is this girl? What are you doing?"_

"_What I told you I would be doing for a long time, Professor. I'm creating a Companion to the Ultimate Life-Form."_

"_I told you no! I told you no, Doctor! I told you I wanted no part of this!"_

"_You said to wait until the Ultimate Life-Form was activated, awake, you wanted to see what it could do first."_

"_So why didn't you listen?"_

"_Because I felt that waiting would be a waste of our precious time."_

"_This is too dangerous!"_

"_Nonsense."_

"_You are a traitor! You have disobeyed me! How dare you take this child's life! Take her out at once, Doctor!"_

"_It's too late. I gave her the anesthesia."_

_I could feel the anger, but heard nothing more. _

_Suddenly I wanted something._

_Come to me, Professor, I wailed from inside my head. Come to me. Look at me; I am your greatest creation. Admire me. Feel better. I am here. I may not seem awake, but I am here. Come to me._

"_Hi, Grandpa!"_

_Professor's voice tensed. "Hi, Maria."_

_Maria._

"_Is he ready yet?" Maria asked. I felt her light feet step toward me. She placed her hands on the glass and looked at me with joy and awe. I couldn't see her. But I could feel her._

"_Almost," Professor cooed. "Come on, sweetheart, let's go. Leave Grandpa's creation alone. He's sleeping."_

"_He's sleeping?" Maria asked with a gasp. _

"_Yes. Shhh. See his eyes? They're closed. He needs his rest, just like you and I do. It's his bedtime."_

_Maria stomped her foot. "He's always asleep! Its alway's his bedtime, Grandpa."_

_Professor began to pull her away. "He's tired. Come on, let's get something to eat."_

"_Grandpa, does he have a name yet?"_

"_I was thinking of Shadow."_

"_I like that!" They began to walk away. Then,"Grandpa, who's that girl?"_

"_No one," Professor grumbled, trying not to seem annoyed._

"_Is it her bedtime, too?"_

_He hesitated. "Yes, Maria, it's her bedtime too."_

_And with that, the room became silent except for the mystery girl's shaky breathing. _

_I'm sorry, I whimpered. I don't know what they did to you, but I'm sorry._

_Is this a feeling Professor talked about?_

_Pity, maybe. But I think I felt loneliness. He mentioned something about those two feelings, that he felt them sometimes. I didn't think I liked them. Would I feel more of these emotions? I hoped not._

_I'm sorry._

_xxxxxxxxxxxx_

Maria was there. She sounded like she was the mystery girl's age, the one being taken away from her father. And...this must have been the laboratory! Every scene must have taken place in the lab, because that's where I was created. I was witnessing this all from my pod, where I had yet to be awakened. These were definitely memories. But were they in chronological order? Were they even real?

"Did you have a peaceful sleep, Shadow?"

"Eggman," I growled.


	7. Reunion

**Chapter Six**

"It's nice to see you again, Shadow," Eggman said wryly. "Where have you been?"

I was in a dark cell behind long, rusted, metal bars. The floor was damp with cold water and my ears detected a leak dripping in the far back of the room. The air smelled of stale metal; it stung my nose. How long was I passed out? Eggman was standing over me, watching me from the other side of the bars. My back hurt more than anything, and it took a large amount of concentration to get the words out.

"That's...," I grunted and positioned myself against the wall, where I felt safe. "None of your concern." My voice was breathy and shaky, but somehow loud enough for Eggman to hear me. His eyebrows came together in hatred.

"What the hell is going on here?" I asked between clenched teeth. Somewhere above my tail my back stung and throbbed and pinched all at the same time. I would have given anything to make it go numb. Paralyzed, even. The pain made me dizzy. What did he do to it? I didn't dare look.

Eggman's voice filled the room. I trembled. "Shadow, you naïve fool. Did you really think I wanted to head off to some planet that I didn't even know whether it had an established civilization or not? Yet we took the path closest to Earth? You're incredibly foolish when I give you the chance."

"You...you lied to me!" was all I could think to say. Eggman stepped closer. I tried to focus my eyes on him. "Wh-Where is everyone else? Where are the others?"

Eggman pretended to look sad. "I'm afraid they didn't make it."

This infuriated me. "_What?_" I tried to step closer to him, to look him in the eye, to really examine him. "What?" I repeated, a little louder this time. "You killed all those people? You took everyone's lives just to make your plan a success?"

He grimaced. "It's called compromise."

"No!" I was shouting now. "It's not called compromise! You ended the lives of innocent people! There were children on that ship, Eggman!"

"Does it look like I care?" he shouted back at me. I recoiled into the security of the darkness. He seemed to notice this action and took it as a chance to kick me when I was down.

"So I guess the Ultimate Life-Form isn't so ultimate when he's afraid," he said sourly. I could hear the sharpness of his tongue, how he said each word carefully and slowly, building suspense.

"I...am not afraid of you," I said strongly and clearly, though I was halfway lying on the floor.

"You should be," Eggman said. "Besides, I don't have time for you. I'm not letting you get in the way of my plans."

His Eggman Empire. So it was really happening. His plan would come through and this planet would crumble...

"No. I won't allow you to do that."

The cell door suddenly opened and Eggman stepped inside.

"Oh, Shadow," he said bitterly as he walked slowly toward me. "I'm afraid I have to establish my empire. And I need you to help me do so."

I looked up at him. Why was he coming toward me? What did he want?

He gripped me by the white tuft of fur on my chest and lifted me to meet his face. His words pierced through me. "Have you forgotten you were created as a weapon of war?"

I started to breathe heavily, trying not to concentrate on the excruciating pain shooting through my body. "That is not...why I was created." Chills ran up and down my spine. I started to sweat, though the room was cold. "And that will never be why I was created."

He tossed me against the wall and it took everything not to scream. My head began to spin again, my back spasmed with pain, my legs shook so hard I couldn't even sit. Instead I lay motionless in the crease of the wall and the floor. I remembered Bailey, and how nicely she took care of me...and how now I was being thrashed around. Maybe I really wasn't used to being taken care of. The cell door slammed shut with a shriek. Eggman almost began to walk away.

"What do you know about my Companion?" I asked him. He stopped abruptly in his tracks but did not answer me.

I went on. "I've been having these weird dreams about this girl who was supposed to be the Ultimate Life-Form's Companion."

He turned away.

My words punctured the air. "I'll ask again: What the hell is going on?"

Eggman turned back to me. "Who told you about that?"

_So it was real._

"No one," I answered. "After I hit my head, I started to remember some things..."

He looked away. "How could you remember?" he muttered. Turning to look at me, he said, "You weren't even awakened yet."

The pain in my back started to subside. I started to feel numb. I knew it wasn't a good sign, but at least the stabbing feeling had died down. I was overcome with relief.

"But I was almost finished being worked on," I said. "I remember hearing and feeling things while I was in the pod, but they were very vague and foggy. I've never remembered anything quite like this. I...I even saw these people through some memories, after a while, instead of just hearing their voices. I never rememberd being able to see something or someone while I was in the pod." My mouth felt dry. It was exhausting even to talk. I sighed anxiously.

"So are you gonna tell me?" I asked Eggman. Then more harshly, "Or will I have to find out myself?"

Now that my back didn't hurt, I was able to sit against the wall again. I had no idea what damage I was doing to it, but that didn't matter. I had to sit for this; I had to be attentive.

"All right," Eggman sighed, his shoulders drooping. "I thought I could hide this from you. But nothing stays in the dark for long..."

My ears bent with listening.

"It was when you were still being created, when you had yet to be released. The Ultimate Life-Form was all anybody ever talked about on the ARK. The doctors and professors were especially excited. They all looked up to Professor Gerald, my grandfather, as you know, and they were eager to see what you would be capable of. One doctor, though, Dr. Jame Evans, took things a little too far."

He continued:

"You see, he was so obsessed with creating an entire army of Ultimate Life-Forms that he just couldn't wait until you were completed and awakened. Gerald told him to wait until his creation was ready to show off its abilities before building any more. He did not wish to start a whole project when his first one was still incomplete. However, Evans was an impatient man. Though he secretly admired Gerald, he was ever-determined to become a better scientist than him. I knew he was undoubtedly jealous. So by taking my grandfather's general plans for an ultimate life-form and bringing them to a new light, he quietly worked on his experiment."

"This experiment would be like none other. Since Gerald did not allow Evans to conduct his experiment, Evans figured the only way to be successful was to go against Gerald's word and show the world for himself that this creation would be awe-inspiring, incredible. Gerald built his creation from scratch, but Evans had another idea: He would take a human and work from there."

"This life-form would be more powerful than Gerald's. He'd take a young human—no more than eight years old—and begin his experiment. The human-hedgehog hybrid would have the ability to transfer between its two forms and even cause Chaos Control with not a single emerald. A hybrid, he figured, could easily sneak around as a human and deliver the final blow as a hedgehog. It'd be the ultimate deceiving tactic. Not only that, but switching from one form to another required more power, and Evans believed if he conquered that, he was already a better scientist than Gerald."

"The human had to be young, as it would be a while until the experiment was complete. He had no special preference as to whether to choose a boy or a girl. So long as it was young, it could gain strength through the years. He eventually found someone's daughter."

"So unhealthily obsessed with his new creation, he met with the five-year-old girl's father to convince him to give her up. She'd still live, but just not as a human full-time. He told Evans plainly no. Evans tried to trick him into believing his girl was special, different from the other kids, which was not the case, but the man was desperate. The father didn't believe him, anyway."

"When Evans first brought up his creation plan, he tried to convince Gerald to have his own life-form work alongside Gerald's. They'd be Companions. Though at first Evans wanted his creation to be used as back-up for Gerald's Ultimate Life-Form, and then eventually cloned into an entire army, he figured the everlasting partnership between the Ultimate Life-Form and his Companion would be more powerful. This Companion would be designed to protect the Ultimate Life-Form and would explore new ways to build such creations. Gerald never agreed to this, however. Evans was a sneak, too, and very dishonest. He did try to steal Gerald's plans, and even succeeded partially. Though he worked on his hybrid plan in secret, he learned to add the hedgehog DNA to the girl's young body. But, like I said, this happened when Evans first talked about his creation."

"Why didn't you say that first, then?" I croaked.

Eggman scowled. "Do you want to hear the story or don't you?"

I shut up.

"Evans was a traitor, as you can presume. Out of spite, Evans continued to make this girl the Ultimate Life-Form's Companion, all in the taste of revenge after Gerald told him no. This young girl, who'd endure pain for many months—maybe years—as a result of the operation, would be forced to work with the Ultimate Life-Form; she'd be connected to him. Once she met the Ultimate Life-Form, she couldn't part with him, as they were lifelong partners. It was the only way to ensure they'd work together on missions and rely on each other. This way they'd be more powerful. It was also a way for Evans to get revenge on Gerald for never letting him build his creation, for telling him no every time. Now Gerald would have to live with this pain of taking this girl's life and turning it into something totally different and dangerous. Though it wasn't his own fault, he was still taut with anxiety about it. When he found out about the hybrid plan and how Evans took the man's daughter, Gerald yelled at him and fired him from his position."

"Then something rather odd happened a few days while the girl was resting unconscious: She mysteriously died on the operating table after Evans had worked on her insides to transform her into a hybrid. Shadow, she died before you were awakened for the first time. Gerald felt horrible about the young girl's death, but at least now she couldn't be used as a revenge tool. The girl's father was never to be seen again after he heard the news. He didn't fight Evans; that's how upset he was. Instead he just solemnly walked away after hearing the news and disappeared into thin air. No one really knows what happened to him."

"What happened to Evans?" I asked.

Eggman shrugged and looked away. "We believed him to be dead. We never heard from him either afterward. Some say he jumped off the ARK in a suicide attempt. Then again, that's what people said about the girl's father."

"Were you a part of this?"

Eggman shook his head. "No, I found this all in my grandfather's diary."

"Shadow," Eggman said again, "you had your memories revived about this, is that so?"

"Yes. When Professor and Evans were talking, when the father and Evans were talking, when the girl was being taken away, and when Gerald was yelling at Evans for saying it was dangerous and he wanted no part of it."

Eggman nodded. "Your memories are merely fragments. I can't tell you if they were in order. I'm astonished you were able to regain them after hitting your head."

I thought that especially weird, considering I never remembered having these memories before. They really only popped up after I crashed to Earth.

"Maybe crashing into Earth wasn't such a bad idea after all," he said with an evil smirk.

Something thumped inside me. "Wait, Eggman," I said quickly, anxiously. "Did this girl have a mother?"

Eggman shook his head. "No, she died when the girl was young."

"_Haven't seen my mom since I was little. I think she and Papa are divorced, but I never asked about it."_

I rubbed the spot where she stitched my glove.

"Did this girl have a name?"

The memory came back to me right where it left off and spoke in synch with Eggman.

"_Her name is-_

…_._

_-Bailey."_


	8. The Great Escape

**Chapter Six**

My body froze over.

"Now," Eggman snarled, leaning forward to look at me, "why did you want to know that story?"

My voice cracked. "I-I...no reason." I looked away. My heart was pounding. I stared at my glove.

Eggman tensed. "I highly doubt that."

"It's true."

"No matter. You're still working with me."

"That's the only reason you released me," I said slowly.

Eggman rolled his eyes. "You're just finding this out, huh?" He paused to contemplate me. "What's the matter? Why are you all stiff?"

I rubbed my arm to get the blood flowing again. "Me? I'm not stiff." I took a deep breath.

I had to get out of here. Bailey said she was having those memories too, and I needed to see what was going on with her. How was she here if she died? Is she totally human? Nothing made sense. Nothing ever made sense.

"Let me go," I said, almost sounding like a small pleading child. "Please."

"You're not going anywhere," Eggman said. My back began to throb again. I quietly groaned in pain.

"You have to release me _now_," I said a little louder. "I have to get out of here."

"What's the big rush?" Eggman asked, starting to walk away. "You have a date or something?"

"Barely," I mumbled. If only I had a Chaos Emerald, I could use Chaos Control to escape.

"You don't need me to build an empire," I called after him. "You have enough power of your own. What do you need me, a weapon of war, for?"

He looked back at me.

I was almost there... "I mean, if we start fighting, violence leads to more violence. They'll retaliate and you'll keep fighting, and then you'll somehow be stopped and we'll be thrown in jail, and your plans will crumble like usual."

"Then what do you suppose I do, Shadow?" Eggman growled from a few yards away.

My answer was slow and cautious. "Work on it in secret."

He crossed his arms. "Are you with me or against me?"

I stared at him. "I should be asking you that, Doctor."

He was quiet for a minute.

"I suppose you have a point, Shadow," he said calmly. "But before I release you, may I ask where you need to go?"

It was my turn to be silent for a while. "She's here."

Eggman knew who 'she' was and said, "No."

"No?"

"She's dead."

"I met her." I knew I was putting Bailey in danger, but I had no other choice.

"That's...that's impossible."

"If I bring her here, will you believe me?"

"No," he repeated.

"No?" I echoed.

Eggman was still standing yards away. "That was a long time ago. She'd have to have traveled through time." That baffled me. He was right. But I couldn't focus on that right now. I had to focus on getting out of here, whatever that took. Eggman became silent again.

I spoke up. My words were like venom. "Imagine the Ultimate Life-Form and his Companion, working on your team, like it was always meant to be."

He seemed to think about this, then answered, "Even if she were here, the experiment had failed. She is not powerful nor does she have any of the abilities she was supposed to have."

"Do you think I met her by sheer luck?" I said sharply. "Look, now I know the story, but that's not enough. I need to speak to her myself and get some real answers."

"Plus," I added, "you'd be grateful to have us work with you. That is, if she holds any power at all. But...why not find out? She did say she was having memories like mine. I could find her, get information, and bring her back to you. You could continue your empire in secret, and we'd be nothing but help. We won't spoil your plans." I was lying through my teeth, but figured it was a clever way to get even. Eggman was too egotistical to sense this, however. I think he just wanted to see how crazy I'd driven myself.

Finally he spoke. "Bring the girl back to me if you found anything interesting. If not, come alone and you'll work alongside me. I'll use your advice and work in secret, in silence. But either way, you're coming back here."

I nodded and pulled myself off the floor. I ignored my throbbing back and watched the metal bars slide to the side with a piercing shriek.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

I convinced myself it was Monday and that Bailey would be in school. I knew the best thing to do was to wait for her to come home, but I couldn't resist. I navigated my way back to her house and located the nearest school. It was about a mile up ahead. Lucky for me, it was a scenic area with lots of tall trees. Since I had some practice with climbing earlier, it wasn't much of a challenge to heave myself onto the highest possible branch. About thirty minutes later a crowd of kids came rushing out of the small building, anxious to get home. I looked everywhere for Bailey, scanning the parking lot from the top of a tree. In the confusion of it all, I had forgotten to ask myself: Was this even her school? Did she even come today? I mean, she wouldn't be hard to spot, since most of the girls had long hair and wore dresses. I was tempted to look among the boys to see if I spotted anyone, but after the crowd had left, a single figure in overalls and pale hair walked out the front door, clutching a binder against her chest. A teacher was speaking to her as she got to the steps, and then retreated to the building. I was certain the girl was Bailey.

I watched her cross the parking lot, walking towards home. Like a spider monkey, I swung down from the branches once the coast was clear.

The tree I had just climbed and descended from was at the far corner of the lot. I rested behind the thick trunk, watching her as she was about halfway across the parking lot. I seemed to forget about my aching back and focused on the girl instead. She walked straight, and at a quickened pace, like she didn't want to hang around the area.

A black car pulled up in front of her, cutting her off. She took a few steps back, startled, and was about to go around it when a man stepped out and asked her something. She looked down and said, "No, Mister," and began to walk away quickly. Before she could make it far, however, the man grabbed her by the arm slammed her against the car's back door.

I left my hiding spot and bolted toward them, shouting, "Hey!"

The man turned to look at me.

Bailey opened her squeezed-shut eyes and stared at me in a mix of shock and relief. She mouthed _Shadow_ but didn't say it.

"What are you doing?" I shouted at the man defensively.

A frown creased in his forehead. "I was just asking her some questions."

Bailey slowly began to walk toward me, aware of the man watching her through the corners of his eyes. I stepped toward her and reached for her hand, pulling her behind me. She was trembling.

"Yeah," I said, "well, she's with me. How dare you lay a hand on her. Now get the hell out of here before I call the police."

"I'm afraid I'm not finished with her," he said, and stepped around me to get to Bailey. She let out a small shriek.

I swung my arm back and punched him in the gut. He fell back against the car. Bailey pulled me by my quills as a way of saying, _Let's go_, but I wasn't finished yet.

The man came back by attempting to slam his fist against my head, but I smoothly dodged the attack and kicked him in the hip. He turned; his backside faced me and I snatched his wallet from his back pocket.

"Let's go," I said to Bailey, about ten feet away. We took off without a word. My shoes began to glow as I ran.

"So that's what got you to work." I looked down at my feet and smiled. I took Bailey's hand and wasn't surprised when I found she could keep up with me.


	9. Blast from the Past

**Chapter Nine**

"You came back."

I looked at her. We were sitting in her treehouse. "What did that man want from you?" I asked.

Her eyes shied away. "He asked me if I lived close by."

"And you said?"

"I said no, and when I walked away he pulled me back and said, 'I know you're lying.'"

"Why did he want to know where you live?" I asked.

Her voice became quieter. "I don't know...but he scared me. I never saw him before."

Mine got quieter too. "Did he hurt you?"

She rubbed her arm where he had grabbed her. "No. I'm okay."

She turned to me. "I...I had no idea you could fight like that."

"I told you I was capable of some interesting stuff," I responded.

The room was silent for a few minutes.

"Why?" she finally whispered.

"What?"

"Why did you come back?" she asked.

"Because," I whispered, "you really need to know some things."

And so I told her the story.

I told her _her_ story.

xxxxxxxxxxxx

She was white.

Her skin, her face. She had gone completely pale.

"I remember," she whispered over and over again. "I remember that day."

She turned to me. "But not until you came along. Something just sparked inside me and I...Oh, God, I remember..."

"It was the same way with me," I said. "I only just remembered a few days ago when I hit my head."

"That day..." She looked up at the ceiling. "It was so painful."

I hugged my knees. "Tell me about it."

She sighed, looking at the floor, then to the window. "Somebody came in the middle of the night. At first I thought I was hearing things, because it woke me up. I wanted to run across the hall to my father, but was scared so I decided I would stay put. I thought maybe it was a monster coming to eat me or something, as I was only five. I hid under the blankets, but before I could do anything more someone just grabbed me and covered my mouth, saying, 'Hush. Don't scream, be quiet,' over and over. I was silent until we approached the lab. Then I started screaming. I cried, 'Daddy!' a million times, but no one answered me. I kept sobbing so hard and this man who was holding me kept saying, 'Hush, hush. It'll be all right, it doesn't hurt,' and I kept thinking, 'What doesn't hurt? What are they planning to do with me?' I was terrified."

"Go on," I urged when she suddenly paused. "Keep going."

She nodded. "I had been to the lab before because my friend Maria would take me to see you."

I stopped her right there. "What?"

She giggled. "I was good friends with Maria. We were the same age. Well, I think she was six. But she'd always talk about you. She'd say stuff like, 'My grandfather is building the greatest creation in the whole wide world!' and 'When I'm older, I'm gonna marry him and we're gonna live in a huge house together and stuff.' It was really adorable, but her grandfather was always mad because she'd sneak in to look at you. She was proud of her grandpa, and I kind of looked up to her for that. She was really lonely, too, so she looked forward to meeting you."

I felt my cheeks grow hot and I turned away. "I had no idea you knew Maria."

"W-Were you guys close?"

It was an innocent question, but its answer wasn't. "Um, that's another story for another day. Just go on with your own."

"Sorry," she said, and it sounded like she genuinely meant it. "Anyway, I knew what you looked like and I knew what they did in this lab place and I was so petrified. The plan was to turn me into something like you, except I would convert from human form to hedgehog and back again. That took a lot of power, so whoever did this had to be young, brand-new. I was young, so I was an appropriate choice. I was supposed to be back-up for you, since no one could tell how effective and useful you'd be until _after_ you were released. So they wanted one extra life-form, just to be safe, except they'd redesign this one and try out different methods. But you know that already. I heard people talking about this, by the way, and that's how I learned this much."

"The one who created you disagreed to the creation of me, and so the man who carried me in decided that, as revenge, I'd be a Companion to you. I would protect you. I'd be one half of the same whole. We'd complete each other. Either way, your creator wouldn't be able to escape his pain of allowing a man to take this small child's life. He'd have it hovering over his head because it'd be existent in his own creation—you. Since my creator-"

"Evans," I interrupted. "His name was Evans. My creator was Gerald."

"Oh," she said. "Right. Since Evans was always in competition with Gerald, he threw out his original plans of a back up hedgehog or a protector. He figured he'd make this Companion _even better_ than the original Ultimate Life-Form. I would be able to cause Chaos Control—whatever the heck that is—without even one Chaos Emerald—again, whatever that is. You would still need one Emerald. I could switch from a hedgehog or a human anytime I wanted to, but it would actually take a few years for this to be perfected, as I would have to grow stronger."

"Supposedly, I died on the operating table not long after they put me under the anesthesia. I remember someone saying something about how I didn't make it because this whole human-hedgehog Companions thing required too much power, too much strength, and I didn't have that yet, as I was so young."

She took a deep breath. "I...I really don't understand where this is going," she said. "Why am I here? Aren't I supposed to be dead? Do I..." She held out her hands in front of her and stared at them. "Do I still have those powers?"

"I can't say I know either," I said. "But I can tell you this: Gerald Robotnik's grandson is here-Doctor Eggman. He wants you; he wants to see that you're alive."

"Don't," she suddenly said, shaking her head, "don't let him take me."

"I won't," I told her, scooting closer to her. "I promise."

Her breath was shaky. "You're ageless, right?"

"Yes."

"Then...does that mean I am too? Ugh! I don't know anything anymore!"

I took a deep breath. "But things are about to get more tricky, Bailey. He wants to take over this world. We have to stop him somehow."

"Oh, great," she said, holding her head in her hands. "How are we supposed to do that, exactly?"

"Again, I can't say I know. But we can try to figure your story out first. I think that's more important than anything right now."

She cleared her throat. "You know, ever since I first met you, I felt okay with you. I guess that's because we lived in the same place, in the same time...'Cause, um, I know you asked me why I wasn't flipping out over you. I felt...something almost close to you."

She grew quiet and sighed. I stared at my gloves. Wait a second...

I quickly pulled off the one that concealed the scar. I rubbed it with one of my fingers, and Bailey stared at it too.

"What is that from?" she whispered.

I shook my head, whispering, "I don't know. I never knew I had it until I took my glove off to have you sew it."

"Really?" she said. "I guess we really don't know as much about ourselves as we thought, huh?"

"You're not kidding."

She looked into my eyes. There was something in those eyes of hers... I couldn't tell what, though. "Oh, and Shadow?"

"Yes?"

"Thanks...for saving me."

I looked up at her. _You might-just a little bit-like her. Right, Shadow? She isn't so bad, right?_

A dorky grin stretched across my lips. _Yeah, I don't think she's so bad._ I quickly realized I was _smiling_, and put my serious scowl back on.

But Bailey caught this. "You can smile?" she asked, smiling a bit herself. "I didn't know Shadow the Hedgehog could smile."

"Shut up," I grumbled. "And you're welcome, it wasn't a problem."

"But, um, why did you take his wallet?" she asked.

I opened up the wallet, which was still in my hand, and showed Bailey the man's ID.

_Dr. Jame Evans_ was written across the top in bold letters.


	10. Coming Clean

**Chapter Ten**

Bailey jumped back and stumbled to the corner of the treehouse.

"No," she gasped. "He's here too." Her eyes filled with tears.

"Hey," I said softly, crawling over to where she recoiled in the corner between the two walls, trying to appear smaller. "I'm going to protect you. That's what I'm here for, right?" I gently touched her arm, then squeezed her hand.

She looked at me, fear evident in her eyes. "I hate that man. I hate what he did to me." She paused, wiggling her fingers comfortably inside my palm. "I...I'm scared of him, Shadow."

"I know," I whispered, wiping a tear from her cheek. "I know."

_What are you doing? Why do you feel such a sudden closeness to her? _

_Shut up, _I told the voice in my head.

_You do like her._

I tensed, but Bailey didn't seem to notice._ We established that already. _

_How much?_

_Not answering_.

A chill ran down my spine._ We've been through a lot. And it scarcely started._

"Bailey?" I said, my voice cracking.

She sniffed. "Yeah?"

"That's not the only reason I came back."

She ran her fingers through my quills. "I know."

xxxxxxxxxxxx

About twenty minutes had passed. Bailey wasn't sobbing anymore, but something trembled inside her with each breath she took. I had no idea how I ended up in her lap; my head rested on her legs and she played with my ear, twisting it gently and outlining its shape with the tips of her slim fingers.

I felt completely relaxed, completely at ease.

She pressed her hand against the fur on my head. It felt like she was examining something. Maybe I developed a bruise from hitting my head the other day. Maybe Eggman put a tracking device inside my brain and the scar was still visible. Maybe-

"You need a bath," Bailey said, giggling. _Oh_, I thought, my mind no longer going crazy. _That's all._

"What?" I asked, rubbing my head. My glove was covered in brown dust when I pulled it back, and now that she mentioned it, I did feel a little itchy.

"My dad'll get suspicious soon," Bailey said. "He knows I barely use this treehouse anymore, so when he figures out this is where I've been for the past few days, he'll know something's up. You can use the bathroom in my room. I'll find a way to sneak you in."

"How are you going to do that?" I asked, getting up from her lap.

"Around this time he's out milking the cows. But...we'll still need a disguise. Hold on." She ran down from the treehouse and came back with a large, white laundry bag.

"Just in case my brothers are hanging around," she said.

"You want me to get in that thing?" I asked, annoyed.

She frowned. "It's the only way. If you don't get in here, a whole lot more problems will erupt when someone sees you."

"Fine, fine," I muttered. I climbed into the sack and Bailey hauled it over her shoulder. It smelled like laundry detergent.

Bailey carefully climbed down the ladder, one hand on the wooden steps, the other on the bag's drawstring.

"This is ridiculous," I said from inside the bag.

"Shut up," she grumbled. "Someone'll hear you."

Aside from being a little dizzy, repeatedly pounding into Bailey's backside, and having little room to breathe, the trip to her room was all right.

Until a voice stopped her in her tracks.

"Hi, Bay," someone said.

"Oof," I said quietly as Bailey suddenly dropped the sack.

"What's up, Dad?" she said. Her foot pressed into my side as if to say, _Be quiet and don't move._

"Nothin' much, sweetheart." A pause. "Oh, you're doing laundry? I thought it was Danny's turn to take care of that this week."

"Well," Bailey was quick with her responses, "he said he'd pay me to do his share for the week." 

I took a gigantic risk and attempted to poke my head through the bag's opening. If I could only just take a tiny peek...

"Oh yeah? Well, since you're here, take this along with you."

Someone grabbed the bag and opened it. I stayed perfectly still, curled up into a ball.

I expected someone to stare or scream or ask a question, but the only thing that happened was a whole bunch of smelly, dirty clothes crashing on top of me. I tried not to cough.

"Thanks, honey," her father said, handing me back to Bailey.

Bailey was silent for the longest second. "Oh, heh heh, no problem, Dad." And she ran to her room faster than anything.

A door opened and she set the sack on the floor. "All clear," she whispered. I climbed out of there and took deep breaths of clean air. Finally.

"Real sorry about that," she said, helping me out of the heap of clothes.

"It's fine," I said between coughs. "Though your disguise worked a little too well."

She giggled somewhat nervously. "Danny's my older brother, by the way." I examined her room. It was far bigger than the treehouse. Her ceiling slanted downward a little, the lowest by her bed. She had three huge windows at the far end of the room; they looked over the back of the farm, where the horses and cows were. Her floor was a shiny, dark chestnut wood. Her walls were a pale blue, the same color as her eyes. Her bed rested at the far corner of the room; her bedding was a few shades of green with many white pillows. A desk, armoire, and vanity were also scattered throughout the place. They were all shades of brown. The browns, greens, and blues all blended together nicely. Her room smelled of a light, sweet perfume.

I think Bailey saw me staring. "Um, welcome to my room," she said rather awkwardly, but smiled.

"It's nice," I said, and felt myself blush. Why was I blushing?

"There are towels in the bathroom over there," she said, leading me to a white door near her vanity. "Take as much time as you want. I'll be here waiting for you."

I nodded and told her, "Thanks," and entered the bathroom. A jacuzzi-style bathtub greeted me. The room was entirely white and porcelain; the faucets on the tub and sink were a shade of gold. The floor below me was a cream-colored tile. I locked the door behind me and removed my gloves and boots, placing them in front of the door. I let the water run and waited for the steam to rise, indicating that it was hot, then sunk to the bottom.

Indeed, the water was extremely hot, but I let it burn me. It tingled at my nerves and pinched the insides of my ears, but at the same time it felt wonderful. I didn't recall ever taking a bath in my entire lifetime. This was the way the humans lived, huh? At least it was how Bailey lived. But were there other humans out there who lived in such luxury?

Wow. I was rambling on and on about the luxuriousness of a mere bath.

_Maybe I'm more than lucky,_ I thought as I smiled to myself underwater. Maybe some people didn't want something in return every time they were nice to someone. Maybe some people, like Bailey, were nice just to be nice.

xxxxxxxxxxxx

I spent half an hour just sitting there, letting the hot water softly sting me, and another half hour scrubbing the dirt out of my fur, ears, and quills. I had no idea what else to use except Bailey's pink shampoo that sat at the edge of the tub. I hoped it wouldn't backfire.

It probably already did, seeing as it smelled like peaches, but I was too filthy to care. I unwrapped the gauze around my tail (yes, I never removed that) and set it on the side. The water turned to a murky brown. I scrubbed harder and drained the water, then let a new flood flow in. I realized there was a jet panel, and I turned it to high. I set my back against the jet and expected to feel massaged, relaxed, but a burst of pain shot through me.

"Ow!" I wailed, and hoped Bailey didn't hear me. "What the hell was-" Oh. I looked down and turned around to examine the spot above my tail. Where Eggman hit me with something, it still hurt. Maybe I should have Bailey check that out... What did he even hit me with? A tranquilizer dart? A bullet? I never could know with Eggman. I shook the thought off and turned the jet to the low setting, just to have some bubbles ripple and float around. I continued to scrub with the shampoo, then conditioner, and when I rinsed myself off and ignored my fruity scent, I stayed there just a little while longer, taking everything in.

I finally drained the water and stepped out, grabbing a towel that hung on the door. It was soft and fluffy, and smelled like cotton. I wrapped myself in it and stepped outside to Bailey's room. Sure enough, she was sitting on her bed, immersed in a book. She looked up at me and smiled.

"Hi, Shadow."

"Hi."

She bookmarked her page and set the novel on her bedside table. "Did you enjoy your bath?"

I nodded and allowed a smile. "It was really great."

She giggled. "Have you ever taken a bath before?"

I dried my ears. "Nope. I had no idea it could be so...nice."

"Shadow?"

"Hmm?"

"Did you use my shampoo?"

I looked down at my fur and realized it had become fuzzy, frizzy. "Oh, great," I muttered.

She got off the bed and stepped closer. "It was my fault," she said, stifling a laugh. "I should have brought in horse shampoo for you to use. That works well on everything."

"Shut up," I grumbled as she laughed.

"At least you smell nice!" she said, sniffing my quills.

"Yeah," I said, "'cause I don't know what I would do if I didn't smell like peaches."

But alas, this only made her laugh more, and I allowed to share a few chuckles too, because Bailey was just so...incredible when she was happy. The way her eyes lit up when she laughed, how innocent at heart she was...

How could I have ever hated her?


	11. Awakening

**Chapter Eleven**

Just because I knew the story, didn't mean the memories stopped.

"_Is this your grandfather's creation?" a girl asked._

"_Uh-huh," another girl replied. "His name is Shadow."_

_Four hands on the glass. "He's very handsome, isn't he, Bailey?"_

_I could tell Bailey made a face. "Handsome? No. He's more cute than handsome, Maria. He looks like a cat, kind of."_

"_What are you talking about, Bailey?" Maria asked. "He's a hedgehog, silly."_

"_What can a hedgehog do?"_

"_He will have the power to save the world."_

"_Our world isn't in need of saving." One pair of hands off the glass. The other pair remained. "Is it?"_

_Maria said, "Mm-hmm. That's what Grandpa says."_

"_Oh," Bailey said._

_Young Maria pressed her lips to the glass and kissed it, kissed me. "I love you," she whispered._

"_Maria, you're crazy," Bailey said. Maria removed her own hands right before Gerald walked in._

"_Maria," he said. "Haven't I told you to stay away from Grandpa's laboratory?"_

"_Sorry," she said guiltily. "But I wanted to see him."_

_Bailey just stood there, balancing on her toes. _

"_You can see him when he's awake. It shouldn't be long," Gerald said, walking towards me._

"_Drat," Maria said, but Bailey remained quiet. Gerald pulled the two girls away and shut the lights out. _

_I gently touched the spot where Maria had kissed the glass._

_It was the first movement I had ever made._

xxxxxxxxx

I fell asleep on Bailey's bed after my bath. But now I was awake, and the memory had ended, faded. So that's what Bailey was talking about when she said that she and Maria would come to visit me.

I smiled to myself. They were adorable.

Bailey must have put the blanket over me and tucked a pillow beneath my head. Her sheets smelled sweet, and her pillow smelled like her shampoo. I almost didn't want to get up; it'd been a long while since I'd slept in an actual bed. Or indoors, for that matter.

I got up, though. I placed the blanket back to where it belonged, tucked above the pillow and hanging loosely on the sides. My head was a little dizzy, but I was able to ignore it.

I walked to Bailey's desk, where she kept favorite poems and quotes scribbled on her marker board above it. A cork board hung beside the marker board, and featured pictures of her and her family.

One particularly caught my eye.

A tall, thin, blonde man stood with two boys and a girl at a baseball field. They were all smiling. The girl, Bailey, had her arm around a blonde boy, who looked exactly like her. He had dusty blue eyes and a small frame. I assumed he was one of her brothers she had talked about. He wore a baseball uniform and cap, clutching a trophy in both hands. The older boy, who I believed to be Danny, had very light brown hair and stood next to the blonde man. How come everyone but him was blonde? Maybe he got it from his mother. However, there were no pictures of her, so I couldn't tell.

My eyes darted back to the man, and I looked at every other picture of him.

This was why I was trying to peer out through the laundry bag, to see if...

And he was.

I recognized him—the blonde man in my dream, talking to Evans—he was Bailey's father.

Perhaps he knows something. Perhaps he remembers something. Or maybe his memory was wiped. If he met me, would he remember, as Bailey did? They had traveled through time, hadn't they? How? Why? And did Bailey's brothers exist back then? What happened to their mother? Did Evans have anything to do with her?

Something interrupted my thoughts.

"Shadow?"

It was Bailey's voice.

I turned around.

But Bailey was not there.

Instead, a tan hedgehog stood in the doorway.

And she had been crying.


	12. Realization

**Chapter Twelve**

My mouth opened and closed several times. I couldn't find the words to speak.

The world stopped spinning. Time completely came to a halt.

My legs were like lead, and I dragged them toward the hedgehog. Slowly, carefully, as if this were a dream and any abrupt movements could cause it to collapse.

When we were inches from each other, I slowly examined her up and down. She was now my height. She wore a blue t-shirt, and her overalls spread to a denim skirt. Her shoes were white sneakers. White gloves covered her hands; they were not like mine, as they had lace on the ends. Her hair was short and choppy; her entire body was covered in light brown fur. The insides of her ears were a soft pink; her stud earrings were replaced with small silver hoops, and they hung at the sides of her ears. Her eyes were gold.

"Shadow," she said again, her voice barely a whisper.

I suddenly snapped to life. The world began to spin again, time no longer stood still. I found my voice, but as soon as the words met the air, everything came to a stop again.

"Who did this to you?" I asked. My voice was so quiet I couldn't tell if I had really said it or if I merely mouthed the words.

"No one," she responded.

"Then how...?" I trailed off. "How are...?"

"I don't know," she said slowly. Tears hung in her golden eyes. "I was using the bathroom down the hall to wash dirt off my hands when it happened..."

I touched her arm. Her fur was incredibly soft. "Why are you crying?"

She sniffed. "Because it hurt." She clutched my arm, squeezing it tightly. "It was so painful, Shadow. My muscles...they ache."

She suddenly embraced me and sobbed into my shoulder. I wrapped my arms around her and pressed her body against mine, holding her in place, as if something might take her away from me.

I ran my hand through her hair. "It's okay," I whispered into her ear. "We'll find a way to fix you."

"How?" she cried, her voice muffled from being buried in my fur.

"I...I really hate to do this, Bailey."

She slowly began to pull away from me. "D-Do what?"

I sighed. "I have to take you to Eggman."

Her eyes screamed terror.

"No, no," I said quickly, trying to calm her. "He knows more about this than I do."

She was going to protest, but I caught her. "No," I said again. "Listen. He won't hurt you. He won't touch you. I-I promise I'll...protect you."

"Shadow," she said once more, "I can't. He wants to use me, doesn't he? That'd just create more trouble."

"And when someone walks in here and finds you as a hedgehog," I argued, "that'd be no trouble at all."

She was silent, contemplating my theory. "Are you sure he knows about this?"

Truth was, I wasn't sure of anything these days. "He _has_ to know _something_, Bailey."

"Okay," she sighed, looking down. She placed her hands on my chest. My hand was still pressed into her back. "How are we gonna get there? Where is he?"

I thought about this for a moment. "You can use Chaos Control without a single Chaos Emerald," I remembered with awe.

"Oh," she said. "But what exactly is that?"

Hmm. "It's like time travel, or teleportation. Chaos Emeralds are mystical gems with unlimited power."

She kind of nodded. "So...how do you use Chaos Control?"

How could I describe this? I never had to before. "Um...I don't know," I hesitated. "You just...think about it, I guess. Visualize where you want to go."

She frowned, her ears bending down in concern. "Is that how _you_ do it?"

I shrugged. I never really had to think about it before, how Chaos Control was done. "I...I don't know," I said again, to her disappointment. "I wish I could tell you how. It's...just natural."

She sighed, removing her hands from my chest. "Okay," she said. "Let me give it a shot." She stepped a little farther away. I still clung to her hand without realizing I had done so, and Bailey looked at it for a few seconds, then smiled to herself.

She looked back up. "Do I shout 'Chaos Control' or something when I do it?"

I nodded. "Yes."

She took a deep breath. "Okay," she said, shutting her eyes tightly.

"_Chaos Control!_"

And we were off.

xxxxxxxxxxx

A few seconds later, we landed at the entrance to Eggman's base, which was really just the half-demolished ARK that crashed somewhere in the woods.

Bailey stared at her hands.

"I had no idea," she said, "that I was capable of such power."

"You're the Ultimate Life-Form's Companion," I told her with a smirk. "You're capable of anything."

This brought a smile to her tear-stained face.

"Stay close to me," I ordered when we stepped inside. "This place is littered with robots and cameras and booby traps."

Bailey wrapped her arm around my waist and pressed herself against me without hesitation. She kind of leaned her head on my shoulder as we walked, and I slipped my arm around her small hips.

_It's only for protection,_ I tried to convince myself.

But something inside me whispered, _It's for a little more than that._

Eggman would be in the main room, where the controls to the ship and giant computers were. We passed long, narrow, grey hallways with intercoms beside countless rows of doors. We walked passed the lab, and Bailey got an uncomfortable look on her face. I squeezed her tighter and she wasn't as tense. But she still didn't look at it directly.

"Shadow," she said, but I hushed her.

"Be quiet," I demanded in a harsh whisper. I could hear the _beep_ing and_ zzzzz_ing of a nearby camera—or worse—a robot.

"Don't move," I said. Bailey obeyed, freezing herself up against my side.

I slowly turned around and found a giant, blue heap of metal standing at the far end of the hall. The giant robot was four times my height and was covered in bulky silver and dark blue armor. Its eyes glowed an evil red. I didn't recognize it, and figured Eggman must have just built it. Its right arm was a machine gun of some sort, and it was pointing it at us.

"_Intruder alert_," it buzzed. "_Intruder alert. Must destroy._"

"_Run!_"I shouted at Bailey, who still stuck to me. "Bailey,_ run!_"

"But Shadow!" she said, and I pushed her off of me and in the opposite direction. She started to run, but checked back repeatedly to see if I was all right.

"_Fire!_" the robot commanded. I dodged its fireball attacks and punched it in the chest.

But it didn't budge.

"What?" I muttered, confused. "How could that be?" I was more powerful than anything! Usually a pound in a robot's chest—where its main circuit board is concealed—is enough to fatally damage it. But this one was stronger than any one I'd ever seen. Could this be the first stage of Eggman's empire? More powerful robots?

I landed on my feet, though, when I crashed to the ground.

"_Annihilate!_" the monster said, about to punch me with one of its gigantic fists. I ran out of the way fast enough, but the impact of its fist crashing on the ground shook me left and right, and I struggled to rebalance myself. When I finally did, something shot from behind me and exploded in a bright white light. I shielded my eyes and took a few steps back. A hand pressed into my back.

"Hiya," Bailey said from behind me.

"_You_ did that?" I asked in shock.

"Uh-huh," she tried to say casually, but a smile played on the corners of her mouth. I could tell she was proud of her new powers.

"We're strongest when we're together, right?" she said. "After all, we're-"

"Companions," I finished for her, and never felt more confident.

"Exactly," she said, and it was her turn to smirk.

"_Eradicate. Must destroy,_" the robot buzzed from behind us.

"Ready?" Bailey asked, taking her stance.

"Let's go!" I shouted.

Bailey used her Chaos powers again while I acted as defense. When it was my time to attack, I decided to aim for the eyes, for that was another weak spot.

I leapt from a wall and kicked its eyes; I felt glass shatter beneath my foot.

"_Target detected_," it still managed to spit out.

"What!" I said, angered.

"_Switching to back-up sensor_," it hummed, and something clicked and fumbled from inside it.

"Where is its damned back-up sensor?" I asked to no one in particular, raising my voice above the firing bullets and lasers.

"In its hand!" Bailey said suddenly. "In its machine gun hand!"

"You mean we have to attack _that_?"

"No!" Bailey shouted back. "Hold on! Can you distract it?"

"Yes!" I said, running underneath its legs.

I understood what she meant. "I got ya!" I told her. "I understand!"

Its gun followed me wherever I went, but I was skilled in the art of deceiving. I leapt to its chest, waiting for it to say, "_Target detected_," and then, "_Annihilate!_" And once that was done, I crashed to the floor and grabbed Bailey's hand, running as the robot exploded behind us. When we were a safe distance away, we collapsed to the floor in exhaustion.

"Pretty good out there," I said, kneeling down next to Bailey on the floor against the wall.

She blushed in response. "How did you know to trick it into shooting itself?" Bailey asked.

"Well," I said, "I just figured." We caught our breath and Bailey smiled at me.

"You saved me again," she said. "I guess I owe you two now."

"No," I told her shaking my head. "It's fine. We'll always be even."

"Well, take this as a thank you," she insisted.

She grabbed the back of my head and pulled me toward her. Her lips pressed on top of mine.

I kissed her back.


	13. Hypnosis

**Chapter Thirteen**

Bailey had a soft voice and gentle hands, but she was an aggressive kisser. Her grip on my quills tightened, and I could feel the sweat on her palms even through her gloves.

"Mmm," she sighed.

My hand was positioned on her shoulder, and I began to grip it tighter. Her lips kept pushing on mine, pressing harder and harder, as if to make sure I was still there and wasn't going anywhere. I soon fell under her hypnosis, though, and stopped trying to make sense of what was happening, and instead fell into her kiss.

My mind was a blur; I think it was trying to say something to me, but I couldn't hear it, for it was far too distant.

Bailey's tongue grazed my lips, and then my teeth. Without thinking, I opened my mouth and the kiss became softer. I thought now Bailey had grown a little tired, more relaxed, because she wasn't as tense and her sighs weren't as...fierce.

I took my other hand and playfully toyed with her ear. She giggled inside my mouth and I smiled. Our heads rocked back and forth, bending this way and that. Though rough, her kiss was cradling, and suddenly I wanted more. I crawled closer to her, feeling her fur rub against mine.

_What are you doing?_

I drew back hastily, falling a few feet away from Bailey. My balance was off, and it took me a second or two for my eyes to adjust, for the room to stop shifting.

"Wh-What happened?" Bailey asked at once. "Did...Did I hurt you or something?"

I shook my head. "No," I said simply. "You didn't hurt me."

"Then what...?" Bailey trailed off. She seemed very upset I had ended the kiss so suddenly. I felt bad, but...

But nothing. I didn't know what to make of what just happened.

"I-I'm sorry," I stammered. "Listen, this isn't the place to discuss anything like this. Let's just...Let's just get the information we need and get the hell out of here."

"Oh, um. Sure," she said, rather wide-eyed.

I pulled her up off the floor and we walked to Eggman's quarters. He was sitting in a designer leather swivel chair, staring at a large computer screen that took up most of the wall. He mumbled something under his breath, shaking his head.

"Eggman," I said at the doorway.

He turned his head to me instantaneously. "Shadow!" he exclaimed, certainly not expecting my visit. "Shadow and..."

"Bailey," Bailey said from beside me. I couldn't look at her. I felt so uneasy after our kiss; I just wanted to hurry on out of here.

"Bailey," Eggman snarled, his smile an evil one. "Shadow, you did as planned. You brought the girl to me, yes?"

"What?" Bailey asked, and looked at me. I was still faced the other way, but Bailey didn't hesitate to grab my cheek and turn my head toward her. I tried to avoid her eyes, but it was no use. "You did _what?_"

"Oh, he hasn't told you?" Eggman said, getting up from his chair. Bailey turned to look at him, her hand still on my cheek. "Shadow promised to find you and bring you back to me. It was part of a deal." His words stung like venom, and the worst part was that they were true. "You see, he works with me now."

"I don't work for you!" I bellowed. "And I was lying so you would set me free!"

"Too late," Eggman said.

"Wait," I said quickly. "Please, Doctor Eggman, you have to help us." Then quieter, "Please."

He glowered at us. "With what?"

"I told you she was here," I whispered. "And she inexplicably turned into a hedgehog today. We need to figure out why."

Eggman sighed. "I'm afraid I can't help you with that."

"But-" Bailey started.

"Unless you promise to work with me."

I shook my head. "Never."

"This is what you were created for! To work with me!" Eggman shouted. Bailey leaned on me in fear. Eggman continued, "You two are Companions! You're a team! Created by my grandfather and his assistant! My team is the only one you play for!"

"I don't work for evil," I said plainly. "And I certainly don't work for you."

"Please," Bailey chimed in, tears in her eyes. "You're the only one we know who could know anything."

"I have no desire to assist you," Eggman said dismissively, turning to walk away.

"Then who else is there, Shadow?" Bailey asked me. I shrugged, muttering, "I don't know."

Bailey took a step forward. "I need to know my past," she said to Eggman. "And if being on your team is what it takes to know the truth, then I'll work with you."

This infuriated me. "Bailey! What the hell are you doing?"

"No," Eggman said, turning around. "Shadow must come too. I won't let you have it the easy way."

"Just tell her what the hell she's doing here!" I yelled. "Just tell her how in God's name she became a hedgehog so suddenly! We thought the experiment failed!"

"Well, obviously it didn't," he growled. Bailey stepped back to me.

"I wouldn't know why things are the way they are," Eggman continued, his hands behind his back, staring at something on the computer screen. "My best guess is meeting you, her Companion, sparked the hedgehog inside her."

"But I died on the operating table," Bailey whispered, "over fifty years ago."

"But that's not all we need to worry about," I said. "Doctor Evans is here too."

Eggman looked at me in profound interest. "Doctor Jame Evans?" he repeated in horror.

I nodded.

Eggman shook his head, beginning to pace back and forth. "That's impossible," he muttered. "But I said the same thing about Bailey and..." he trailed off. He looked at me. "You met him?"

"He tried to take me in his car," Bailey spoke up. "He knows where I live and where I go to school."

"I wonder how in the world he ended up here?" Eggman thought aloud.

I took out Evans's wallet and showed Eggman the ID. "I stole this from him."

"Yup," Eggman whispered, examining the card. "That's him, all right." He turned to Bailey. "Your creator." Bailey shivered.

Eggman handed the ID back to me. "He'll want that back," he warned.

"I know," was all I could think to say.

"But this still leaves a lot of questions unanswered," Bailey noted. "Could this possibly have anything to do with...time travel?"

"Have you spoken with your father?" Eggman asked. "He probably knows the story better than I do."

"But if the experiment was never complete," I said, "then how is she a hedgehog?"

"I don't know," Eggman said. "Like I said before, your meeting each other probably awakened something inside her. It's the only logical reason I can find."

"Nothing is logical anymore," I muttered. "What about this?" I removed my glove and showed my mysterious scar to Eggman. He stepped forward, holding my hand in his, twisting and turning it, examining the scar. I felt uncomfortable.

"You never knew about this?" he said to my hand.

"No," I said, jerking my hand away. "What's it from?"

"Gerald burned you on that paw to distinguish you from the Shadow Androids. He was ahead of his time."

"Well," I said awkwardly, "that was rather clever."

Eggman huffed in disgust.

"We're leaving," I announced. "Thanks...I suppose." In a way I blamed myself, for wanting to believe Eggman could help us.

I ordered Bailey to use Chaos Control, which she did perfectly.

xxxxxxxxxx

For a while we sat, silent, in her room.

"Shadow?" Bailey finally said after thirty minutes. I was staring at the wall, leaning against her bed while she lain on top of it.

"Yeah."

"Was something wrong with the kiss?"

_The kiss._

Fortunately, if for a short while, I had forgotten about that. But here was Bailey, bringing it up.

She repositioned herself on the bed so that her head was next to mine.

"No," I said. "Nothing was wrong with it." I turned away. "You're a good kisser."

She giggled nervously, then stopped herself, her voice serious again. "Then...Then why did you pull back?"

I huffed. "Because," I said, "we don't belong together like that."

"But we're Companions," she said.

"Yeah, Companions. We work together, but that's all we're meant to do."

"Oh," she said, her voice cracking at the end. She looked down. "I guess you don't feel the same way."

_You know you like her._

_Not you again,_ I said to my mind.

_Just tell her you like her. After all, she likes you. And it took her a lot of courage to say that. Girls are usually shy. Give her some credit._

_I don't like her._

"Sorry," I muttered.

"Then why did you kiss me back?" she whispered.

_Yeah, Shadow. Why?_

_...Why _did_ I kiss her? _I had no idea.

"I...I don't know, Bailey. Something came over me; it felt so right at the time..." This was probably the only honest thing I said so far.

"I really am sorry," I told her, and really was. I turned to face her again. "But I don't think we could ever...be that way."

"Why?" she mouthed, her voice too weak to speak.

"I only just met you," I said, and wasn't sure this was the reason.

_I don't think that's the reason. I think you're afraid._

"You're lying," she said sourly. "And you didn't have to kiss me back."

"You do something to me," I said kind of shakily, scared of her response. "You...hypnotize me."

"You know, Shadow?" she said sullenly. "Forget I did anything. I shouldn't have kissed you in the first place. I'm sorry."

She got up to go who knows where, but I also stretched to my feet and grabbed her arm.

"Don't go," I whispered.

She tried to tug out of my grip, but was unsuccessful. "Let me go," she grumbled.

"_I'm_ the ass," I said to her. "Not you."

She stared at me.

"I'm an idiot," I told her.

She smiled. "I know."


	14. What is Love?

**Chapter Fourteen**

**A/N: I updated chapter 13, so before you read this, be sure to check out the updated last chapter! (I forgot to add some stuff) Thanks much!**

"So does that mean we can...be together?" Bailey asked, a hint of hope in her eyes.

I really wanted to make her happy. I hated to let her down, especially with those incredible eyes, staring at me, looking _inside_ me. But I haven't been honest with myself lately.

I may have been the Ultimate Life-Form, but I was confused. It was demeaning to think this, and I wondered how many times I shied away from this fact. Things were moving too quickly. Maybe we should get this Evans thing sorted out first, and the Eggman thing, and...everything.

But I didn't say this.

"Look, Bailey," I started, putting a hand on her shoulder. "We're Companions, I know. But that makes us more like brother and sister. Not love partners."

It was painful to say.

She came closer. "Do you really look at me as more of a sister...?" I sensed sadness in her voice; it killed me.

_Stop lying to her. _

_After all, you do like her._

_Ever since you met her, you couldn't stop thinking about her._

_It's so obvious!_

What could I say to this? Yes, no? Either answer could be true.

Luckily I didn't have to answer right away; someone came at the door.

"What's this I hear about me paying you do to this week's laundry?" I presumed it was Danny. Bailey laughed, and I wanted to as well, but then he'd hear me. I stifled my chuckles and pressed my hand to my mouth for extra protection.

"You don't have to pay me," Bailey finally said. "I was just pulling your leg."

"Yeah, well," Danny said; I could tell he was leaning on the door. "I'm not handing over a single dime. Just makin' sure you understand that. Anyway, me and dad and Brandon are gonna watch a real scary movie. With guns and blood and screaming old ladies. Wanna join?"

"No thanks," Bailey said, sounded disgusted. "You boys have fun."

"Aiight." Footsteps hinted Danny had retreated downstairs.

"They're such idiots," Bailey said to me, rolling her eyes. "But at least they're watching some movie now and don't have to see me like this." She gestured to her hedgehog formation.

"I guess you got lucky," I said. "But I don't know how long that'll last."

"I know," she said, plunking down on the bed. I joined her.

"So, what were we talking about?" she asked me.

I had an opportunity to change the subject. "You shouldn't go to school for now," I said warily, "because Evans might track you down again, and I might not be there to run and save you."

She looked to the floor.

"We shouldn't have told Eggman he was here," I went on. "They're probably going to work together now."

"You're right," she said quietly. "Evans'll get me while Eggman hunts you. Me being in school will be the perfect chance for them to sneak up on us."

"Plus," she said, "I'm still a hedgehog, and I don't know how long this will last. We might have to wait it out and see, but I can't hide from my family forever."

"Can you ditch?" I asked.

Her lips became a straight line. "I never did that before," she said honestly. She put her elbows in her lap and played around with her earring.

"Then you start tomorrow," I settled. She seemed uneasy about this idea.

"We'll figure out someplace to go during school hours so no one gets suspicious," I reassured her. "Just show me a spot where there's no people and we'll go from there."

"I know a park we might be able to hide out in," she said. "But we could always hide in the woods. They run pretty thick, so no one could see us for miles. We'd have to be careful though."

"Wait," I said suddenly. "Don't they call your parents if you don't show up?"

Bailey shook her head. "No, not in real small towns like these. Plus, in my school, they barely seem to notice. That or they don't care. Maybe that's just how high school is."

While she said this, I stared at the blinking digital clock on her bedside table. 10:02 PM glowed in green digits. I wondered how it got so late so fast, then remembered that I had fallen asleep earlier today for a few hours.

"What's school like?" I asked. I had never gone to any kind of school. It looked interesting, from what I saw on TV, but I also figured the reality version was way different.

"It's long and boring," Bailey said, shrugging. "High school is especially annoying. More teachers, more kids, more work, more stress. I probably sound like every other teen in America-"

"America?" I asked, dumbfounded.

"It's where we live," she said, amused by how unfamiliar I was with this world. She smiled sweetly. "Come here," she said, taking me gently by the hand, leading me to her desk. On her desk was a globe, painted in blue and green patterns and landmarks.

Bailey spun it around once and placed her finger somewhere. "We're right here," she said, and I examined the spot her finger touched once she removed it. "Berry County, Pennsylvania," she explained. "Pennsylvania's a state. America, or the _United States of America_, is made up of a bunch of states. Fifty of them, actually."

"Pretty big place," I murmured.

"And then you have-" she spun the globe around again. "-the rest of the world."

She looked to me and smiled. "Which is also a pretty big place."

"Have you been anywhere interesting?" I asked.

"Hmm. Not really. In fact, I've never left the country. What I really want, though, is to go to Paris."

"Paris?"

She smiled again. "Paris is here." She pointed to a place an ocean away from where we were. "It's in a place called France. It's supposed to be really beautiful, with the Eiffel Tower and all. Oh, I just realized you have no idea what that is." She reached up to her cork board and pulled off a picture of a large tower, with a needle at the top and twisting iron bars around it.

I couldn't really see why people traveled so far just to see a metal tower, but humans were an interesting species.

"You really want to go to Paris, huh?" I said.

"It's always been my dream," she said, her eyes getting that sparkle whenever she gets excited or talks about something dear to her. Even as a hedgehog, her eyes still had that light to them.

"I think we found something to do tomorrow," I said with a smirk, and Bailey laughed.

"I wish," she said between giggles.

"I'm serious," I said. "I can take you there."

It took her a minute to process that I was being serious.

"Oh, Shadow, please. How are we going to get on a plane and-"

"Chaos Control." It was all I needed to say.

"Oh—wait, you mean...it's that powerful? It can take us that far?" Her eyes grew wide.

"Bailey," I said, "it can channel you across the universe. Across-" I looked down to see what ocean stood between the two countries. "-the _Atlantic Ocean_ shouldn't be a problem."

"Y-You're serious," she said. "You could take me to Paris?"

I shrugged, like it was no big deal.

"Oh, wait," I said suddenly. "I'm a hedgehog. And what if you're not human by tomorrow?"

"Dang," she said, very disappointed. "I forgot about that. And what if I can't cause Chaos Control as a human?"

"No, I think you can," I said, "but the real problem is hiding me."

She went into deep thought and bit her lip.

"Why don't you just go and I'll hide out somewhere in the city?" I suggested.

"No, Shadow, no-" Bailey began, but I hushed her.

"Bailey, I barely know a thing about that place. I wouldn't be missing out on much. I'd be careful; they haven't found me here yet, right? And I really think you should have this." I gave her one of my rare smiles. "But let's not make any plans until tomorrow morning, okay? We still need to see what form you'll be in—hedgehog or human."

She smiled. "Shadow—I-I..." she stammered, embracing me. "Y-You're amazing. You would really take me to Paris? Ohmigosh, that would be a dream come true! Thank you!"

I smiled and buried my face in her hair. It still smelled like peaches. Then again, so did I.

"Shadow?" she said after a while, still attached to me, her tone turning from excited to concerned.

"Mmm?"

"Did you get shot?"

"What?"

She let go and ordered me to turn around. It took me a minute to realize she was talking about the spot where Eggman had injured me.

"This is a wound from a bullet," she noted, touching it gently. It stung.

"How would you even know that?" I asked.

"I'm growing up in a house of boys and gun movies," she said. "It's not that hard to tell anymore."

"Eggman hit me there with something when he captured me," I explained. "It really, really hurt at first, then went numb, then hurt again, but now it's dull."

"You could have been killed," she whispered. "That's right on your spine."

"I'm the world's ultimate life-form, have you forgotten?"

"Oh," she said sheepishly. "That's right." She went into the bathroom to get some kind of cream, and when she returned, rubbed it on the wound.

It was a little embarrassing, seeing as it was so close to my behind (just above my tail). "I can do it," I insisted.

"I'm already finished," she said quickly. "And it really wasn't something to be embarrassed about." She said this because she spotted my red cheeks. She smiled. "Your tail has healed, too, and it's really a very cute tail at that."

"Um, thanks," I said, unsure of how to respond to a compliment on my tail.

"We should probably get to bed," she noted with a sigh. I glanced at the clock. It was 10:19. "Maybe if I sleep this metamorphosis will wear off..." We walked toward the bed.

I nodded. "I'll sleep on the floor."

"Um, actually, Shadow," Bailey said, reaching for my hand, "could you sleep with me?"

My mind went blank.

"Oh, goodness no," she said, taking her hand away from mine and shaking it in the air, as if to erase what she said. "Not in that way. Oh, no, not like that. I just meant...You know, it's fine, you don't have to."

I wasn't thinking what she thought I thought she meant. "Are you scared?" I squeaked, reaching for her hand.

"A little," she admitted, her voice shaking.

"It's fine," I said less hastily, more gently. "I'll sleep with you."

"Are you sure?"

"Mm-hmm."

I hit the lights and she jumped to bed. "Thanks, Shadow," she murmured.

"You're welcome."

I wriggled under the covers and awkwardly put my arm around her waist.

_Oh,_ I thought. _Should I have done that? It was a natural movement._

She sighed happily and snuggled against my chest.

The pillow beneath my head was soft, the blankets were cold and fresh, and Bailey's heartbeat against mine was soothing.

I took my hand and ran it through her hair, wondering how the hell all of this could happen in just a matter of days. I gently touched her ear, outlining its shape and softly squeezing its tip.

A smile spread across her lips.

I put my arm back around her and pressed her close to me. Eggman and Evans could threaten all they wanted; I wouldn't allow them to take Bailey. We were Companions now, and I would do anything and everything to protect her.

And in that moment, I realized it wasn't the brother/sister feeling that was holding me back; I had only just made that up. Nor was it because we had only just met, or even because things were moving too quickly.

I was terrified of falling in love with this girl.

Moreover, I was even more frightened because I knew I already was.


	15. Delayed

**Chapter Fifteen**

I was certain I had fallen asleep beside a hedgehog, but when I awoke I found a human in the space next to me. Her short, blonde hair was uncombed and stuck up on different ends and her eyes were squeezed shut. She was once again in the overalls she had worn the day before.

The first thing to wake me was her alarm clock. It buzzed in my ear, as I was nearer to it than Bailey was, and that could've been why she was still asleep.

I lazily slapped the clock to silence it. Bailey fidgeted in her sleep, and I touched her shoulder.

"Bailey."

In response, she sighed dreamily.

"Bailey," I whispered again, "wake up. We have to get out of here."

"Mmm. Five more minutes, Dad," she mumbled, her eyes still closed.

I rolled my eyes. "Bailey, it's Shadow. Come on, get up." I shook her shoulder gently.

"Wha...?" she said with a yawn, opening those blue eyes of hers. "Oh, Shadow. Hi." She propped herself onto the pillow with her elbow.

"You're human," I said in awe.

She looked to her hands. "Oh, God. Wow. How'd that happen?"

"Probably in your sleep," I suggested.

She stretched. "I can't believe this is happening. This is just...insane."

I muttered, "Mmm," not really sure of what to say.

"When do you think it'll happen again?" she asked.

"I don't know for sure," I said honestly. "But today's our day off."

She beamed. "Paris, right? We're definitely going there? No joke?"

"No joke." I smirked. "Come on, you have to pretend to leave for school. Then we can head out."

"This is going to be so much fun, Shadow," she squealed. "I'm so excited! Get up; I'll get ready."

I left the bed and helped her up. She went straight to her dresser, fussing with the clothes inside. "I'll get dressed real fast and wash up. Just wait here." She disappeared into the bathroom.

I walked over to her desk again to examine her Paris postcards and posters. I knew I was really making her happy; this was going to be something she'd always remember.

And I wanted her to be happy; I wanted even more to be the one to bring a smile to her lips.

I patiently waited until she reopened the bathroom door and came out wearing a denim skirt, lavender blouse, and a thin, white sweater.

I couldn't stop my cheeks from growing hot.

"What do you think?" she asked quietly, shyly.

This was the first time I saw her human legs exposed. Or most of her neck, for that matter; she was always wearing work clothes.

She spoke before I could compliment her. "Let me run downstairs and check to make sure Dad or anyone else isn't there. Then I can sneak you out." She bolted to the stairs and returned in a minute.

"All clear," she said, smiling. "We have to leave through the front door anyway, since my dad listens for that click to be sure I left."

We walked cautiously down the stairs, approaching the front door. I felt exposed, out in the open; I was used to hiding from the humans. But Bailey was right; the coast was clear. I had nothing to worry about.

Bailey slipped on her black ballet flats and opened the door.

A man with grey eyes and silver hair stood on the front steps. His long, white coat hung loosely over his shoulders; his arms were not inserted into the sleeves.

"Got you," he said venomously.


	16. The Beginning of the End

**Chapter Eighteen**

Instinctively, I shoved Bailey behind me. She said, "Oof," as she smashed to the ground, and I turned and mouthed _Sorry _before going back to the man at the door.

"Evans," I grumbled.

"Ultimate Life-Form," he greeted, rather sinisterly.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, my hand fiddling with the doorknob, in case I had to use the door as a weapon.

A frown creased in his forehead. "I should be asking you the same thing."

Bailey got up from the floor and pressed her hand into my back for security. She gripped one of my quills and fidgeted with it nervously. She said nothing and did nothing else. I don't even think she was breathing.

Evans looked to the girl. "I thought I'd never see you again. How _is_ my experiment? You found your Companion, I see."

In response, Bailey swallowed.

"How did you end up here, girl?" he continued.

"What about you?" I asked.

"That's none of your concern," he snapped. "Anyway, I didn't come here to catch up on old times. I have orders from Doctor Ivo Robotnik to take you two away. Experimental purposes."

"What?" Bailey gasped. I elbowed her in the ribs to remind her to shut up, but she grunted and pinched my quills as revenge. I winced.

"I can't allow that," I said simply. "And you should better make your way out of here."

"_You're_ threatening_ me_?" Evans asked in horror. "Why, hedgehog, you have no one with you. Don't you see everyone is against you? It's not a proportional fight. I suggest you stop trying, before you get even more hurt."

I remained undaunted. "You're not taking us anywhere."

"Sorry to disappoint," he said, and before I could do anything, pressed a needle into my neck. I presumed he had done the same to Bailey.

xxxxxxxxxxx

"We wouldn't have had to have done this if she just worked for our side. If she wasn't against us, there'd be no need for us to go against her. Simple as that."

My neck was numb. I awoke in a cell of some sort, my head pressed up against the metal bars. I didn't recognize who was talking.

"As for Shadow?" someone asked. I think it was Eggman. I couldn't see, though, as they were discussing this in another room.

"He's not important right now," the other voice answered. I realized this man sounded a lot younger, almost like a boy. "He's nothing without his Companion, anyway."

"That's not entirely true," Eggman objected. "You should see the power he possesses."

"Anyway," the boy said quickly, "like I said, he's not important right now. We'll worry about him later. Let's just get the girl out of the way first."

I struggled to my hands and knees and went to where Bailey was, in the corner of the cell, on the other side.

"Bailey," I whispered, shaking her shoulder violently. "Get up. Get up. Come on, Bailey, it's me, Shadow."

She moaned and I quickly covered her mouth with my hand. "Be quiet," I snapped, as though she could hear me. "Come on, get up."

Her eyes opened and she staggered to her hands and knees before saying anything. She was about to say something, but someone in the room next to us spoke first, and I pressed my finger to her lips before she could get the words out.

"Gentlemen. I wish to show you where the extermination will take place. Please follow me." 

Evans.

I waited for their footsteps to fade and removed my finger from Bailey's lips.

"What's going on?" she whispered, fear in her eyes.

"I...I don't know," I said._ Extermination_? Getting _the_ _girl out of the way_? Were they planning to get rid of Bailey? Why? Was it part of Eggman's empire scheme?

"Are you hurt?" I asked.

"No." She shook her head. "Are you?"

I rubbed my neck. "No," I answered.

Without warning, she snuggled against me, embracing me. She sucked in a deep breath and didn't exhale. We were still kneeling, and it was awkward because I was so much shorter than her. I pulled away, peeling her clenched fingers off my arms.

She stared at me, then huffed in disgust.

"You know," she said, getting to her feet, "you have been pushing me away ever since I met you. I'm tired of chasing after you, trying to gain your respect; this is getting ridiculous."

_What? _This came out of nowhere.

"Bailey," I started, but she wouldn't listen.

"No. I really wish I had never kissed you. Because ever since I did that, you have been giving me these mixed signals; you kissed me back, then said I was like your sister. You agreed to share a bed with me and let me cuddle against you, and now you won't let me hold you. You totally ignored the kissing subject until I brought it up! Shadow, all I ask for is an answer."

_How long are you going to keep denying it? How long are you going to lie to yourself, Shadow?_

Why would I ever tell her no? Why did I ever tell her I hadn't liked her?

"_Oh. I guess you don't feel the same way."_

"_Sorry."_

Ugh! Why did I say that? Of course I feel the same way!

"_I love you!_" I suddenly shouted, now at my feet.

"Pfft," she said, rolling her eyes. "Please. That's not funny."

"No, I'm serious!" The words poured out before I had the chance to stop them. Then again, I didn't want to stop them. I had enough of lying to myself, to Bailey. It was time to come clean.

Bailey grew silent.

For the first time in my life, I felt tears form in my eyes. "And now they're going to kill you and I brought you into this mess and I was never able to take you to Paris..." I was sobbing now. I don't remember ever sobbing. It was an odd and unfamiliar feeling.

Bailey kept staring at me, her jaw clenched. Yet her eyes were soft.

"I'm sorry I never told you this before," I apologized. "I should've told you way sooner. I...I always felt this way."

"You're lying," she whispered, her eyes wide. "You're just saying th—"

"No, Bailey, I'm not," I reassured her, or moreover, myself. "I swear to God I'm not."

"And," I sobbed, my voice cracking, "and I'm heartbroken that I couldn't take you to France. I...I really wanted to make you happy. But I'll take you there one day. I promise." The tears kept streaming down my cheeks. I didn't like the feeling. Tears were sticky and hot and salty and I felt like an ass standing here crying in front of Bailey. But I couldn't stop. I just couldn't stop crying. In the end, I gave up.

"Well," she said softly, "we're Companions."

"No," I told her, "that's not why I'm connected to you. That's not the reason I have feelings for you. I just...I just love you because of the way you are."

Before Bailey could answer, we heard footsteps advance toward the cell. I turned around. I did not expect to see the one who was standing on the other side of the bars.

The only dark-haired brother of Bailey's family.

"Danny," Bailey said.


	17. A Shadow of What Was

**Chapter Nineteen**

Danny looked at Bailey, his eyes like daggers. He looked absolutely disgusted. Even when he looked at me, his expression wasn't as hateful.

"Bailey," he said, just before spitting at our feet.

"Danny," Bailey repeated, walking to meet him and gripping the metal bars. "Why?"

"You really don't know anything, do you?" he said to her, no longer acknowledging me.

Bailey frowned in response. I spoke up: "Who are you _really_?"

"An enemy of yours," was all he said, his grey eyes piercing into mine.

I knew those eyes.

In fact, everything about him seemed familiar. His pointed chin, the ragged structure of his face, the way he stood with his hands behind his back, his knees bent slightly. How old was he? Sixteen?

"Dad!" he suddenly called out. My heart thudded inside my chest.

And it stopped when Evans came into view.

"What?" he asked, annoyed, then looked to us.

"They're awake," Danny mumbled.

Eggman soon followed. "Nice to see you're up," he said to us.

"What is going on?!" Bailey shouted.

"Wait, wait, wait," I said in disbelief. I turned to Danny. "_You're_ Evans's son?"

He laughed. "Man, are you guys stupid!" he exclaimed.

"So you're not my real brother?" Bailey asked.

"Nope," Danny answered. "Heh, are you kidding? I'm the one who killed you!"

Bailey went white.

I was her voice. "_What?_"

Eggman cleverly changed the subject. "Well, Dr. Evans and I decided to work together, since we're after the same thing: To get rid of Shadow the Hedgehog."

Evans nodded in agreement. "But we soon came up with a different plan," he added. "Same goal, of course, but this time, we thought we'd _break you_ before finishing you off."

"Or maybe we won't finish you at all," Eggman said in pure joy, laughing. "Maybe we'll just let you live in misery! Then you'd have no reason to remain alive, and you could maybe work for us or ask us to end your pathetic life!"

Eggman and Evans laughed. Bailey took a few steps back, still mute. I swallowed. Danny was very interested in his fingernails, picking at them and rolling his eyes at his father and Eggman whenever he had the chance.

"I don't understand why my grandfather was so upset with you, Jame!" Eggman said, slapping Evans on the shoulder. "You were years ahead of your time; why, your plan was magnificent! Extraordinary!"

"I appreciate that, Ivo," Evans said, beaming. It was one of the first times I ever heard someone refer to Eggman by his real name, _Ivo._

I was about to ask what they meant by _breaking_ me, but Bailey was the first to speak.

"Why did you kill me, Danny?" she asked. "And how did we end up here if the incident was so many years ago?"

"Time travel," he said, not looking up from his hand.

"Um...can you expand on that?" Bailey asked uncertainly.

"Nope." He looked up and smiled.

I wanted to kill him, right then and there. I hated that smile. It was traced with evil.

"Are you sure?" Bailey said. "Then can you tell me why you killed me?"

"Shut up," he said dismissively.

Bailey sighed anxiously.

"What the hell is going on?" I asked finally. "What do you mean by _breaking_ me?"

"And what happened to my mother?" Bailey asked, but no one answered.

"Do you remember what happened with _Maria_, Shadow?" Eggman asked me. I trembled violently.

"Why?" I asked. Of course I remember, but why was he asking me this?

"You're about to experience the whole thing again," he told me.

"With Bailey," Evans finished.

Bailey pressed her back to the wall.

"You're going to kill her?" I asked. "What does she have to do with anything?"

"She has to do with everything!" Evans exclaimed. "Killing _you_ would be too easy. If we get rid of her, you'll be too depressed to go on. Then we can build the Eggman Empire once you surrender. It's a little bit of work, but it's way more fun than just killing you off."

"_Dammit!_ You guys need to stop giving away your plans to the enemy!" Danny yelled.

Eggman snarled, "Patience, boy."

"What?" I repeated for what felt like the hundredth time. "You think I'll surrender after she's gone?"

_Shadow, stop, before it's too late..._

I continued: "Do you really believe that once she's dead I'll be too devastated to continue living? Are you serious?"

_Shadow, before the words come out and you regret something..._

"I was fine without her once! And I'll be fine without her again!"

_Before you can't take back what you said..._

"I don't_ live_ for her!" I grabbed the metal bars of the cell. "We're not in love, okay? She's just some girl I met a few days ago!"

_What are you saying...?_

"And you can say we're Companions, and that we're partners, or whatever. But I don't give a damn! This whole thing is just a gimmick! It's just a crazy game!"

_Shadow..._

"So don't you come to me and say that I can't live without her! Don't be foolish! Don't be ridiculous!"

_Stop-_

"Do you want to bet?" I just kept going. "Do you want to bet that I'll die without her?"

Four faces stared at me. They were silent, all of them. One was on the verge of tears, one was bored out of his mind, the other two were looking at me with a desire to prove me wrong.

What the hell did I say that for? Why the hell did I even think that? What was wrong with me? What was I doing?

"Take her away," Eggman instructed Evans. The cell door opened and Evans grabbed Bailey by the arm, pulling her to God knows where.

"No!" she screamed. "No! Shadow! Don't let them take me!"

I was brought back to my fuzzy memory, where five-year-old Bailey was being taken away by the same man some fifty years ago.

Bailey struggled to get out of his grip. "You promised you wouldn't let them take me!"

"Oh, be quiet, bitch," Danny said, smacking her across the cheek. She whimpered in pain.

But I was unable to move.

This whole Companions thing, it was just a gimmick. I was never meant to have one; I was never meant to be one. None of it made any sense, anyway, and besides, I fight alone. That's what the professor created me as. Independent. And I didn't need Bailey to drag me down. She was just a distraction.

I realized it wasn't that I _couldn't _move.

It was that I_ didn't want_ _to_.

If she leaves, this whole mess would be over. Our being together created more problems than it solved.

"_Shadow!_" she screamed at the top of her lungs. It pierced my ears. I closed my eyes. I was no longer in the room.

"He's not putting up a fight," Eggman said, astonished.

"So now what do you want to do?" Evans asked.

"Take her," Eggman said plainly. "You know the plan."

Footsteps. Smacks. Whimpering. Swearing.

What was I becoming? What have I done to myself? Or maybe it wasn't me; maybe it was Eggman and Evans who turned me into some kind of monster. Actually, maybe it was neither one of them. I was created for war; therefore I already was a monster.

This whole event, actually, might have transformed me into something foreign.

Maybe it was Bailey.

Or maybe I brought this upon myself.

Maybe it made no difference whose side I was on. I always seemed to disappoint people; I always seemed to become so selfish in the end.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

It was hours before someone disturbed my slumber.

The cell door screeched open, and someone stepped inside.

A kick to the head woke me up.

"Get up," someone grumbled. "You have somewhere to be."

I looked up and saw Eggman staring down at me. I obeyed his command to get up and followed him into the lab. The same lab that I was created in, the same lab Bailey was operated on fifty years ago, and again today.

The girl was sitting on top of some capsule, some kind of experimental pod. The same type that I was created in.

My knees weakened with relief. So she wasn't gone! Maybe I could apologize to her for being so stupid. _What was wrong with me?_ I could ask her. And she'd respond something like _We all feel that way sometimes._ And so she wasn't dead, and I could erase everything I just said! I could tell her how stupid and how much of an ass I was! I could explain to her that I haven't been myself lately. And then maybe I'd kiss her or she'd kiss me and we'd get the hell out of this place, destroying robots along the way.

I walked over to her. She looked up at me with those dusty blue eyes.

As always, she was the first to speak:

"Who are you?"

And just like before, like it was always destined to be, I lost everything.

_**To be continued...**_

**A/N: "Companions" will continue in "Companions II: Remembering Strangers." Check my profile for it! :) Thanks for all the support! I love all of you! :D**


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